Welcome back to A Very Hoosier Holiday, a guest blogging extravaganza right here on little Indiana!
Anyone is welcome to participate as long as they follow one important rule: the post must pertain to winter or the holiday season. Prepare to read an awesome variety of seasonal postings over the month of December.
Red is no stranger to little Indiana–you’ve seen her as a Featured little Indiana Blogger and also as a contributor to the *first ever* little Indiana Print and Digital Magazine!
Oh, you probably also caught her paperback Troll or Derby book giveaway, too, right? Take it away, Red!
A Very Hoosier Holiday: Let it Snow!
Let it Snow Anthology
There was a time when Southern Indiana knew snow. During the 70’s, a series of blizzards kept some Floyd, Clark, and Harrison County schools closed for a full month. Can you imagine? Most of us struggle to manage our schedules around the two week Christmas break.
I was too young during the great blizzard for school to be a factor, but I do recall going out into the front yard with my older siblings and the snow was up to my armpits. In Memphis, Indiana–mere minutes from the Mason-Dixon line—weather of that nature is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Still, although we may not often get the “piled high” snows that holiday shows and Christmas cards make us wistful for, we do get our share of cold. Whether you live in one of the urban climes or out on the farm, there’s just not much to do in Indiana in the snow.
We’re not known for our hockey or our amazing snow sculptures, are we? No, in Indiana, winter is basketball season. Euchre tournaments abound. Then what? When the winter blues set in, maybe crack open a book!
When I think of winter, I always think of snuggling up with a good book. Is there any better time of year for curling up before a roaring fire (okay, maybe a Kindle Fire) and getting lost in the world of fantasy?
When I was a kid I used to dread winter’s cold because it meant less daylight and less outdoor playtime, but now that I’m a mom, I’ve come to love the holiday season and everything that goes with it. Sure, the daylight hours are shorter, but my family cuddles with me beneath blankets while we watch movies, play on the computer, or, yes read books. Lately my kids have asked for an old favorite—Junie B. Jones. It’s like having a visit with an old friend. We love seeing what Junie has been up to.
YES, we read books together. There’s precious little that brings children and adults together like sharing a good book. Reading aloud means everyone takes in the story at exactly the same pace. We always have time to answer questions at the end of the chapter.
As a writer, I think Christmas and books go together so well, I wanted to have a new book to release for the holiday season. The only trouble was, I knew I wasn’t going to have a full-length novel ready in time. So, I did what all self-respecting writers are doing these days—I got a few experienced author friends together, and assembled a holiday collection of short stories. The neat thing about these stories is that each of them is set in the world of an existing book. In my case, I wrote a Christmas story set in the world of my latest novel Troll Or Derby. The story takes place the Christmas after the end of the book, and before the start of the next (Troll Or Park, which I hope will be out in 2013).
This collection includes the work of myself, Axel Howerton, Greencastle’s Jack Wallen, Mercedes Yardley, Corydon’s own Marian Allen & T. Lee Harris, Claudia Lefeve, Connie Roberts-Huth, Jessica McHugh, and my fellow New Albany resident (and husband) Tim Tash. Between the ten of us, we have covered Christmas, Chanukah, Yule, Solstice, the Mayan Apocalypse, and genres far and wide. There’s lots of fantasy, some horror, plenty of sleuthing, and adventure. Language is coarse in some stories and more family-friendly in others. It’s quite the holiday rainbow of fruit flavors, so to speak! So far it has received some wonderful reviews.
If I could make Let It Snow! free every day, I certainly would, but so far Amazon won’t let us do that, so it will be free 12/14 & 12/15/12. Whether you are alone this holiday season or spending it with loved ones, I hope you will download our collection, cuddle up with it to read, and join me when I say “Let it Snow!”
Oh, and lest you come upon the book when it’s not on “free special” at Amazon—all proceeds from the sale of the book (about $3.50 from each $5 sale) have been earmarked for Hurricane Sandy relief. It’s going to be a long cold winter in the Northeast this year, as Sandy was the biggest hurricane on record. We’re so fortunate to not run that risk here in Indiana—let’s show Hurricane Sandy victims how much we care.
About Red Tash
Red Tash is a journalist-turned-novelist of dark fantasy for readers of all ages. Monsters, SciFi, wizards, trolls, fairies, and roller derby lightly sautéed in a Southern/Midwestern sauce hand-canned from her mama’s recipes await you in her pantry of readerly delights. Y’all come, anytime.
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