Christmas with Sharon Sala

Happy Monday, everyone! I got a chance to interview Sharon Sala about Christmas! Tis the season!

Thank you Sharon, for taking part and being here today! 

What is your favorite thing about the holiday season? I think finding those special little gifts that are so personal to people I love, and baking. I LOVE to bake.

What is your best Christmas memory? My favorite Christmas memory is the year Christmas Day when I woke up at 4:00 a.m., and the moon was so bright I thought it was daylight and ran to the tree to start opening gifts. I got a new Nancy Drew book, The Clue of the Tapping Heels unwrapped before Mother and Daddy caught me and headed me back to bed. That was the hardest thing ever… knowing it was under the tree and not being able to read it. Even then I was a bookworm.

What is your favorite gift ever received? The engagement ring my Bobby gave me the last Christmas before he died.

What is your favorite gift you've given? Hmm, that’s hard. Oh, I know… my three granddaughters had just lost their family pet, a beautiful little golden spaniel. I found three life-size stuffed dogs that were golden spaniels and gave them to the girls. They were in tears, but they were happy tears. They still have them.

What are some of your traditions? Opening family gifts on Christmas Eve and having snacks and chips and dip for supper. On Christmas Day, making at least one dish for each of my guests that is their favorite food. Thank goodness it’s the same for several or I’d never get through cooking because I usually have between 12 and 18 people for Christmas at my house. LOL

What is the most creative gift you've ever given? I once taught myself to crochet so I could make Granny Square afghans for my son and daughter. They still have them.

Most creative gift ever received? My Bobby made me a wall hanging out of a beautiful piece of old wood. It had a knot hole in the top and he perched a tiny artificial blue bird in the opening, knowing that was my favorite bird. It hangs in my living room to this day.

How early do you start listening to Christmas music? I’m not a big fan of listening to Christmas music. I know, I know. That’s almost against the law, but it’s the truth. I actually would rather sing the Christmas hymns at church. That’s my favorite thing to do with Christmas music.

When do you decorate? As soon after Thanksgiving as I can. I have to have my kids get my big tree down out of storage, and after that, I’m on my own.

Do you love to read Christmas stories? Again, not so much. I don’t know why. I like Christmas movies, but it takes a really special Christmas story to catch my eye. It seems a good part of them are kind of along the same theme.

Favorite holiday song? The Little Drummer Boy and Mary Did You Know

Favorite holiday movie? It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer because when my daughter was a little girl, she LOVED the movie, but was afraid of the Snow Bumble in it. Even after she found out he wasn’t really mean and just had a toothache and needed Ralphie the Elf to pull his bad tooth, she was still scared. LOLOL

What is your Christmas wish this year? My wish for this year is to still have my mother with us to celebrate the season. She’s 92, lives with me, and has dementia and several health-related issues.

Is there anything you'd like to add?

Just thank you to all my readers for reading my stories all these years. Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Thank you for being here with me today!

Sharon Sala is a long-time member of RWA, as well as a member of OKRWA.  She has 85 plus books in print, published in four different genres – Romance, Young Adult, Western, and Women’s Fiction.  First published in 1991, she’s a seven-time RITA finalist, winner of the Janet Dailey Award, four-time Career Achievement winner from RT Magazine, five time winner of the National Reader’s Choice Award, and five time winner of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence as well as winner of the Booksellers Best Award.  In 2011 she was named RWA’s recipient of the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award.  Her books are New York Times , USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly best-sellers.  Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate.

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