CHRISTMAS TREASURES: A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES Part 3 of Interview

The anthology has been released!! CHRISTMAS TREASURES: A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES now can be purchased directly on Amazon at this link.

This week, Elaine Stock and Anne Garboczi Evans share their thoughts on music, and plus! Be sure to leave your comments for a chance win for the BookGiveaway offer below. Ho Ho Ho. 

I'm Elaine Stock, host of this blog, Everyone's Story. Both fiction wise and blog wise I enjoy writing and sharing stories of faith's role in life. From an early age I believed in God, though I was first baptized at the age of 22. Christmas is a beautiful holiday for me, one I'd really like to see celebrated more on a religious level than the on the commercial level it's spun on these past decades. As someone who hasn't spent her childhood worshipping with others, let alone celebrating holidays and sharing family traditions, I understand how, for some, the holidays can be a very lonely time of the year. Having little of family and friends doesn't help. That is how I came to think of my Christmas anthology story, THE FOREVER CHRISTMAS GIFT. When neighbors, Nevaeh--a young woman thousands of miles away from family--and Russell--an older man without family face celebrating Christmas by themselves, they wonder whether they are being asked to try out a forever gift that might possibly change their lives.

Music has always been a huge part of my life. I remember my mother playing her treasured records of show tunes, which I'm sure influenced me to love, love, and love both Broadway hits and classical music. Too shy to try out for choir, I played viola in junior and senior high school, only putting it aside to develop my passion for writing.

In THE FOREVER CHRISTMAS GIFT, which takes place in San Francisco, Nevaeh believes it is in her best interest to protect her heart by "escaping" from all things Christmas. Yet, she can't dodge the sights and sounds of Christmas joy and en route home, stumbles across carolers singing “Hark The Herald Angels Sing.”

It is my wish for all of you to be blessed with God's love and all the joy of Christmas--Christ's birth--year round.

You can visit more with me on Facebook. I'd love to see you!

I'm Anne Garboczi Evans, and you can find out more about me on my website. When I was first asked about the role of music in my short story for the anthology, I HATE CHRISTMAS, I responded by saying that there is an obnoxious reindeer decoration outside the story's coffee shop plays Jingle Bells.

To be honest, Christmas has never been a favorite time of year for me. I love summer, beaches, and sun-bathing much more than snow and fires. But one Christmas tradition strikes a special place in my heart as an author. Christmas Eve we always went to church. My favorite part of the ceremony was lighting the candles for "Silent Night." (Yes, I still behave like a 5 year old and refuse to blow out my candle until several minutes after everyone else's candle is extinguished. ;)) As a teenager, I went to church with another teenage aspiring author. Every year she'd finish at least one novel. And every Christmas Eve she'd print out a copy of her manuscript on an old inkjet printer and hand it to me. Invariably, I'd stay up to the wee hours of the morning reading her novel.

 Now, over a decade later, my friend has a book in print and I have a literary agent and am working on that elusive first book contract. I'm excited to see where the next ten Christmas Eves will take my friend and my publishing careers. ;)

I currently have two clean historical romance novels and six women's non-fiction proposals written. The book I'm passing around to publishers right now is about world religions. For No Fear: My Tale of Hijabs, Witchcraft Circles, & the Cross, I visited my local mosque, Hindu temples, Wiccan rites and more, and then wrote about what I learned at these places of worship and why I believe Christ is the one and only.

If you like the idea of No Fear and want to know when it comes into print, please visit my Facebook page.

BookGiveaway:

Readers, whether it is traditional hymns or the Chipmunks singing, how important is Christmas music to you? One randomly chosen commenter will receive, upon release, an e-version of CHRISTMAS TREASURES: A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES. Please leave your contact information within your comment. The winner will be announced on November 21st We're looking forward to hearing from you ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤  

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