There are a lot of great things about having a German heritage, but the best is Christmas. Weihnachten is a big deal for Germans, and for me the best part is the fact that it starts weeks before. And I’m not just talking about when the promotional Christmas stuff appears on the supermarket shelves (currently around mid-October!)
The Germans celebrate Advent, which runs for the four Sundays before Christmas. It was a great deal more fun when I was a kid, before the family diaspora, when Sunday evenings were an excuse for all the extended family to get together, dozens of cousins squabbling over the special Christmas biscuits. We’d sing Christmas carols, each getting a turn to choose our favourite, starting with the youngest and ending with my Omi. Looking back, when we were all together she didn’t get much choice. There are only so many Christmas carols, even when you sing them in two languages!
These days, with the cousins scattered across the planet rather than all living in the same seaside town, the gatherings are smaller and a lot less noisy. But the important elements remain: the candles on the real pine wreath, music, family … and special Christmas biscuits.
My characters in Let’s Misbehave are very English and would have celebrated Christmas a little differently, but the great thing about writing of a period before microwave ovens, plastic Christmas trees and flashing lights is that I know the things they’d treasure about Christmas would be a lot like mine!
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I’m running a contest over on my blog at http://raesummers.wordpress.com/ where two winners will each win traditional Christmas tree ornaments. In order to enter you need to become a follower of my blog or my fan page, or re-tweet my posts – and don’t forget to leave me a comment letting me know you’ve entered!
Gabrielle is the quintessential Flapper, a wild child who turns her back on home and a resentful and unloving mother to become a nightclub singer. She wants nothing more from life than freedom and pleasure.
Sebastian is a dutiful son, following in his father’s footsteps and on the verge of marrying a suitable bride. But as the Twenties roar to their conclusion, he finds himself torn between duty and the urge to indulge his adventurous streak.
From the moment Gabrielle and Sebastian meet, the tension between them simmers. When he rescues her from a boorish suitor, Gabrielle discovers a kindred spirit beneath Sebastian’s serious demeanour, and she sets out to seduce him into one last passionate fling before he settles for a loveless marriage.
But the fire that burns between them threatens to consume her. Will Gabrielle survive falling in love with the one man she cannot have?
Buy Links
The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/lets-misbehave-p-4119.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Misbehave-ebook/dp/B003V4B6AK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&s=digital-text&qid=1279057490&sr=8-7
All Romance Ebooks: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-letsmisbehave-443785-158.html
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Thanks Rae, I really enjoyed having you here and your book sounds fantastic! I love that era--my mom was a child during the flapper days so they really fascinate me.
Happy Holidays to everyone!
Amy Corwin
10 comments:
Hey Rae!
Your Christmas traditions made me remember the huge family gatherings we used to have at my eldest uncle's place when I was little. So many people across different generations would meet...
Today with the family scattered around the globe too, I'm sad my children won't know what big gatherings like that are like. The joy, the noise, the heartwarming feelings... Times to be cherished indeed.
Merry Christmas already!
Hugs!
Hello Rae,
Let's Misbehave sounds like a fantastic read!
It's one of my favourite eras too and coincidentally I've just come back from an antiques centre that sells vintage clothes. They had Edwardian fur stoles, complete down to their foxy little toenails. Think I'll stick to the biscuits!
lots of love,
rach.
XX
Sounds like a great book. That time was amazing.
Rae, I love the sound of your traditions, too!
Good Morning ladies - Enjoyed the post. I love the traditions.
I love your German traditions and in fact listened to Silent Night sang in German by my daughter's school choir yesterday. It was beautiful! Do you miss the traditions Christmas markets in Europe, living in SA?
Rae, reading this reminded me of Christmases past--wonderful times to remember.
Happy Holidays!
Rae, I'm old enough to remember and miss the traditional family Christmas. The global world today is wonderful for many things, not so much the scattered families. Out of us 4 children, we're scattered over 3 different continents (used to be 4, but one brother moved back to SA from Canada a few years back)
It's lovely to hear about different Christmas traditions and remember
Rae,
My daughter is living in Germany. Her husband is in the army and they're stationed at Graffenwohr. She loves it there and says there is nothing like a German Christmas...and of course, the Christmas markets. My husband, younger daughter, and I visited in August 08, but sometime before she moves back home, I'd love to visit Germany during the holidays.
Merry Christmas Amy and Rae!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to comment.
Zee & Claire - I'm also sad that my kids will never know the sort of large family spirit I had growing up, but one advantage is that we get to travl to foreign parts and stay cheap with family!
Maya & Lilly - it's definitely on my bucket list to spend a Christmas in Germany and to visit those famed Christmas markets! But the thing I miss most about not being in Europe is the chance of a white Christmas. Or for that matter a cold Christmas!
Rachel - ugh! My heroine in 'Let's Misbehave' has a real fur coat, but writing about it is as close as I'd like to come to one!
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