Tuesday, December 13, 2011

The Giving Season!

by Cari Quinn

I'm a December baby so this month is especially special to me. Sometimes people wonder if I'm unhappy to have a holiday birthday, since you often get fewer presents. I'd have to say no. I may get fewer presents but I have a whole month of celebrating to do! Heck, I even get carols to serenade me wherever I go! Plus in my neck of the woods it snows and snows and snows this time of year, though I always wish for rain on my birthday. We get upwards of 100 inches of snow per winter here - a little rain in December makes a nice change of pace!
I love so much about Christmas. The first snowfall, listening to Christmas carols, buying gifts...sometimes I even like braving the crowds at the mall! But this year I like something even better! I'm here participating in my first ever 30 Days of Decadence event because my first Decadent Publishing release, VIRGIN TERRITORY, will be out in not too long! I'm super excited to be part of this amazing team and so I'm giving away prezzies! Sounds good to me!
For folks in the United States, if you'd like a chance to win that ginormous basket of stuff you see pictured just tell me what you adore most about Christmas. If it's your annual reviewing of Charlie Brown's Christmas, hey, that counts...and I agree! 
So what's in the basket? It's Christmas-tastic, with a signed Christmas Harlequin Blaze by my good friend Samantha Hunter, a copy of the anthology for writers, How To Write Hot Sex - feel free to share with a friend if you're not a writer - cocoa, chocolates, a booklight, candles, lotion, ornaments and a $10 Amazon Gift card, among other goodies! The thing's pretty hefty!
For the international commenters, I'll pick a winner to win a $10 Gift Card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble and I will email it to you. I don't want anyone to feel left out at this rockin' Christmas party!
So please, tell me what you like about Christmas, leave a way for me to contact you, and tell me which prize you'd like to be entered for, either the US or international version. And happy holidays!
Visit Cari Quinn at www.cariquinn.com

31 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your upcoming release with Decadent! In the UK we're lucky if we get snow at Christmas! We might get a few flakes but I can only remember a few really white Christmas's. What I most look forward to is seeing the kids - even though they're grown up kids now - faces when they come downstairs and see the tree all lit up with their presents underneath. Daughter likes to follow a trail of chocolate coins to get to the tree. Woe betide Santa if she -oops he forgets.

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  2. Hi Cari! I live in the Caribbean so *snow what snow* I'm feeling really tired right now, so some rest and relaxation would be good and I'm looking forward to visiting with my family and catching up with some of them who i haven't seen in many months. Happy Birthday! Congrats on your upcoming release!

    rshereifa at yahoo dot com

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  3. I like being able to smell fireplaces burning as people warm their houses. I also like to be able to eat the rich hearty meals that I seem to crave this time of year. I am a little jealous of your snow though...LOL
    Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas!!!
    US ressie

    koonie2888 at yahoo dot com

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  4. Happy birthday! I love spending time with my family. Merry Christmas

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  5. What a great way to look at having a holiday birthday! My favorite thing about the holidays is the joy on my kids' faces. They're still young enough to love everything about the holidays and that makes me able to put up with all the things I *don't* love LOL.

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  7. Congrats on your first Decadent Publishing release.
    I love the first snowfall, but that's it for the snow.lol.I love the decorating the house,the baking and the holiday cheer.Christmas is my favorite holiday.

    International

    elaing8(at)netscape(dot)net

    Happy Holidays!! and Happy Birthday!!

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  8. I like visiting family and friends. And eating, of course!

    USA

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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  9. I like that most of my family has a little time off from work and school. Having everyone at home is my favorite thing about Christmas.

    Thanks for the giveaway! I'm US.

    geishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com

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  10. What I love about Christmas is family and feeling thankful for all I have! Growing up, the whole family got together at gram and gramp's place. Even though we are all scattered, the family meets up at my mom's place (gram is living with her now) and we have a great time!

    books4me67 at ymail dot com

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  11. I love the family time and watching my kid's faces when the unwrap that oh so perfect gift.


    caity_mack at yahoo dot com

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  12. That's a great way of looking at having a December birthday. Having a great giveaway is also great and I truly appreciate it.

    What I like best is all the baking since I love eating the cookies that don't look quite right. Being able to watch all the Christmas specials also makes me happy.

    USA

    joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

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  13. Cari - December is my birthday month too. Coming up in a week. Happy Birthday to you. Congrats on your story and Merry Christmas.

    Focusing my attention on the reason for the season is my favorite part of Christmas (and cookies with icing is a close second.) LOL

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  14. Congrats on the coming release!!

    My favorite thing about winter and the Christmas season is Christmas. I love being with my family and teaching my kids about the amazing reasons we celebrate.

    and cookies. I love Christmas Cookies and those who make the super fussy ones and then give out plates of them!

    Stephanie Becken
    s.becken@yahoo.com

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  15. Happy Birthday and congrats on book!!

    Love getting together with family that I don't see most of the year.

    Merry Christmas!
    brbalways (at)yahoo(dot)com

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  16. Well, I live in Alabama and it's 70 degrees right now! I love being with my family.
    I also love to give presents, especially when I know it's the perfect gift.
    I live in the US.
    srbagby50@gmail.com
    Thanks for the chance!

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  17. My favorite thing about Christmas is the excitement of my boys Christmas morning. The smiles on their faces is priceless!

    elena(at)elenagray.com

    US please

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  18. Congrats on the new release! My favorite thing about Christmas is just watching the kids enjoy themselves.
    I live in North Carolina and so far we have not had much winter weather, guess it's waiting until Jan/Feb!
    Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!

    debr97 at yahoo dot com

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  19. Hi, my favorite thing about Christmas is my 4 daughters opening up their presents =)

    reginamayross@gmail.com
    US

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  20. Happy Birthday, Cari!

    I love the family get togethers at Christmas. The decorating, the baking and the grandkids eyes lighting up as they open their gifts. Too bad the spirit of Christmas didn't last all year long, although I do try. :-)
    lornel@xplornet.ca

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  21. I love watching people open their gifts and eating goodies.

    jessicasubject.writer[at]gmail[dot]com
    International

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  22. I love just spending time with my family. I mean its not often we all get together for hours at a time but I really like it!

    US

    ~*Drea*~
    dreabecraft(@)aol.com

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  23. Congrats on the upcoming release. Thanks for the chnace to win.
    Patricia
    panthers.ravens@yahoo dot com

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  24. Okay this may be totally silly, but my favorite part of Christmas, and always has been, is they play Frosty the Snowman. My kids and I would always sit down and watch it.

    I loved Bad Kitty.. btw and eagerly await more books..

    texasreader at ymail.com

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  25. I love the cold... but only for being able to snuggle up on the couch with a warm throw over my legs, maybe a big glass of wine and a great book... Or at least the thought of being able to do that lol

    emilytardy@yahoo.com

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  26. Hi Cari,
    Congrats to you.
    My favorite part of Christmas is Christmas Eve when everyone comes to our house for ham, oyster soup and chili, & cookies, etc. I love Christmas day watching my niece open her gifts. And then our meal that day.
    (US prize.)

    Lea Ellen {night owl in IL}
    borg_66@hotmail.com

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  27. Cari congratulations on your birthday and your Decadent publishing release! You are a writing machine! One of the things I enjoy about Christmas is my family's wearing of the Christmas hats. We all have pointy little Christmas hats made of felt with embroidery and applique decorations. We look like slightly demented elves in them. But it's a fun tradition!

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  28. My favorite part of Christmas is just spending time with my family, especially my nieces and nephews.
    Hope you have a great birthday! Mine is the 20th!

    US resident
    June M.
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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  29. I love everything about Christmas, but the one thing I try to do every year, is watch my favorite movie, Holiday Inn. This year, there was so much going on, I didn't get to watch it until Christmas Night, but I stayed up past midnight to finish it.

    drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com

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  30. My favorite things about Christmas are spending time with friends and family (I have 9 grandchildren)...the holiday movies/specials, music, and last but not least...COOKIES!!! Eating them of course...baking is ok...but eating them...*bliss*. Oh...and I would LOVE that US prize pkg!

    barbbattaglia at yahoo dot com

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  31. Hi everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! I'm so glad you guys all stopped by and I wanted to share the names of the winners of my giveaways (who have already been contacted.)

    The winner of the US prize is: Wendy Renee!

    The winner of the International prize is: Criss!

    Thanks so much to everyone for participating! :)

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