Hi everyone! Glad to have you back today. Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? Are you ready for it?
Today, I'm talking with Harlequin Superromance author Amy Knupp about her Christmas traditions, wishes, and fun.
Hi Amy! Welcome! I'm glad you had some time to hang out with me here today!
What is your favorite thing about the
holiday season? Time off for all of us! I love to spend some
unhurried time with my family, playing board games or Wii, sitting by
the tree, trash-talking our way through Scattergories or Pictionary.
:) We also seem to have a lot of discussion about who has how many
whats under the tree, courtesy of our 11yo son.
What is your best Christmas memory?
It's shallow but good. I remember when I was really young, maybe
5ish, I woke up to find the living room filled with toys. (Yes, I am
a spoiled only child!) The gift I remember was this plastic mat to
play with my Hot Wheels on…there were roads, parking lots,
"buildings," etc. Loved that thing. The impact of walking
out and seeing all that stuff was magical for my little kindergarten
brain.
What is your favorite gift you've
given? I don't know that the gift itself was my favorite, but my
husband and I had fun surprising our boys a couple of years ago. We
bought Band Hero for the Wii and wrapped up that big box and didn't
mark it. Of course, this generated MUCH interest, so we explained to
them we had bought one of those cat condos for the cats. They loved
that idea because they always bug us to buy a cat condo, so on
Christmas morning, we managed to save the cat gift for last, when the
boys had finished unwrapping everything else…and we of course let
the boys unwrap it for the cats. Yeah, they were a bit surprised. :)
What are some of your traditions? We
don't have a lot, but we always open one gift apiece on Christmas
Eve. We used to have spaghetti for Christmas Eve dinner but this
year we're busting out and getting Chinese take-out.
What is the most creative gift you've
ever given? I'm giving a creative gift this year but I can't say
what it is because the recipient could read this blog.
How early do you start listening to
Christmas music? Don't throw tomatoes at me but I'm not big on
Christmas music. I usually put some on as we put our Christmas tree
up, and I sometimes try to play some in the car. I haven't yet this
year. And I'm totally fine with that. lol
When do you decorate? We put our tree
and decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Do you love to read Christmas stories?
Again, no tomatoes…I don't seek them out. But I will definitely
read them, and I've read some really great ones.
Favorite holiday song? Generally, I
like "classical" holiday music. I know, how old am I?
However, there are a couple of songs that crack me up. One is Bob
and Doug's 12 Days of Christmas, where every day ends with…"and
a beer…in a tree."
Favorite holiday movie? The Santa
Clause or The Muppet's Christmas Carol. ("Light the lamp, not
the rat! Light the lamp, NOT THE RAT!")
What is your Christmas wish this year?
Peace and happiness for those I love.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
Thank you for having me here, Nikki! And for your readers, I'd like
to give away a signed copy of my latest book, AFTER THE STORM.
Here's the back cover copy from it and if you're an excerpt person,
there's one on my website at http://www.amyknupp.com/ats.php.
With
a hurricane heading for the Texas coast, Nadia Hamlin needs to
evacuate. "Now." Before she can leave, however, there's one
more thing she has to do--despite the risk. But that delay lands her
trapped in her car in the middle of the storm. Fortunately,
firefighter Penn Griffin arrives. "Unfortunately, " her
good-looking rescuer suffers a career-ending injury in the process.
The
only way Nadia can think to make amends is to help Penn get back on
his feet. Even if he doesn't want anything to do with her, she won't
give up. Her determination has an unexpected impact. Because soon he
can't seem to get enough of her.
Thank you for being here with me today!
To enter to win, simply leave a comment! Or, you can answer the question: What was the most creative gift you've ever given?
Enjoyed the interview ladies! Amy, I love the cover of your book...right about now I'd love to be on a sandy beach! lol
ReplyDeleteWould love to read a signed copy, so here's my address just in case I get luck! christine.warner@yahoo.com
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Fun interview! I don't remember ever seeing a "hot wheels" mat like the one Amy described! I remember wanting a "closet" for my barbie dolls - instead I got 2 mini trunks of clothes...lol....Love the cover for After the Storm! No need to enter me in the contest as I already have a copy of Amy's book:)
ReplyDeleteChristine, it's a perfect day for a sandy beach! (I'm in Wisconsin in about 10 inches of snow and the blizzard has yet to come!) Thanks for commenting!
ReplyDeleteMaria, I may have seriously dated myself by posting about the car mat! I've seen large rugs that are similar, maybe even at Home Depot? This was just a plastic mat, kind of like a tablecloth if I remember right. Probably lots cheaper but it sure made me happy. :) Thank you for picking up a copy of After the Storm!
Amy (I can't figure out how to get it to call me something other than "unknown" lol)
My girls had the rug in the past for their cars. Now they just use the train table for them. I haven't seen the plastic mats either, but that sounds awesome!
ReplyDeleteMost creative gift I've given -- We(MIL and I) printed photo's on fabric and made a quilt hanging from them for my husband's grandmother.
Amy -- I think you have to go into your blogger profile info to change it.
I found a small car rug a year or two ago for my son, but it was a small one. Came from Wal Mart. My cousin and I, when i babysat him when I was a teenager, created our own out of paper and markers. We'd draw out the roads, draw city buildings, houses, parking lots, schools, stores, parks...we would tape them together for a huge city. I think my Oma got it laminated for us, but I left the state with my parents and siblings a year later, so I don't know how long my cousin kept that car mat. Come to think of it, maybe that's a project for my son and I do do in a year or so.
ReplyDeleteI'm not really very good at thinking of creative gifts. More worried that the person will not like it I think.
ReplyDeletemarypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This is not really creative but this year I asked a friend who is a special needs teacher to pick out some books for me to donate to Reach Out and Read for the local children's hospital. I got the books she recommended but she thinks I put them in my name and I actually donated them in her name. I am giving her the receipt with the info written on the top as patd of her Christmas gift.
ReplyDeleteHI Amy! Enjoy your snow! It's coming our way now but we are getting nearly as much as you did. Have a great Christmas.
ReplyDeleteDebbi