books, life

A Thanksgiving Giveaway

Lori

My husband and I didn’t always have people to spend time with on the holidays. Those years were melancholy for us. This year, we are blessed to have family nearby.

Having family to spend holidays with isn’t always easy either. We might idealize the holiday gatherings and imagine the perfect scene, but sometimes relationship issues and dysfunction get in the way.

This is the case for Ava and Meg who are married to the Whitaker brothers in my novel, Whit’s End. The relationship struggles they have with their in-laws takes a toll on each of their marriages. Their difficult issues cause them to make decisions with dyer consequences. You can read further about their stories on the blurb at the above link (or click the book cover).

As a Thanksgiving and holiday special, I’m giving away two paperback copies of my novel, Whit’s End. Keep reading for instructions on how to enter the contest to win the book. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY READ THE BOOK, perhaps the paperback might make a nice Christmas gift for someone.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR GIVEWAY CONTEST: In the comments below, share a holiday tradition that your family does every year, one that you started on your own or simply write about what you’ll be doing for the holidays. This will automatically enter you into the contest to win a paperback using the random number generator (thanks to L. Marie for that info).

IF YOU ARE NOT A REGULAR FOLLOWER OF LORI’S LANE, please leave your email address in the comments or email it to me at gnl61@aim.com, along with the user name. I will only contact the winners.

In case anyone would like the book in time to give Whit’s End as a Christmas gift, the contest will go for one week and end on November 28th (2017). So, November 27th will be the last day to enter. I will ship the book that same week. CONTEST IS CLOSED AS OF NOVEMBER 28TH (2017).

Since we’re sharing tradition, here is mine. My family integrates our Italian heritage with American tradition. For Thanksgiving, we serve pasta alongside our turkey. I took this tradition of my family’s and gave it to my character, Ava, in Whit’s End.

When my husband and I got engaged, I learned his family’s tradition. For Christmas, one person dressed up as Santa, and a few of us had to dress like elves. This struck me as odd, because there were no children (yet). It had been a tradition since my husband was a boy, and they continued it into adulthood. We may have thought each other’s traditions were strange, but we loved and accepted each other anyway.

So, what are some of your traditions? Or, simply share what you’ll be doing for the holidays to enter the contest.

Published by Lori

Observer, thinker, learner, analyzer and writer. Enjoy dogs, laughing, cooking, centering, and humorous sarcasm.

29 thoughts on “A Thanksgiving Giveaway”

  1. Will not take my comment. Lori, I have read your excellent book but would not mind giving a copy to my friend.she loves to read.

    Long ago when I was married my father would always come for the holidays from MS to AL. He rode the Greyhound bus. It was always a treat to go to the bus station and wait for the bus to arrive.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Linda. Thank you for sharing your old tradition. It reminds me of one of mine. I remember going to Union Station (Chicago) with my Grandma to pick up her sister who came in from Minnesota. It was exciting for me as a kid, and I loved seeing Aunt Mary. Together, my grandma and Aunt Mary were like two giddy teenagers.

      I didn’t know you had read my book. Thank you. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Lori, I have read your excellent book but would not mind giving a copy to my friend.she loves to read.

    Long ago when I was married my father would always come for the holidays from MS to AL. He rode the Greyhound bus. It was always a treat to go to the bus station and wait for the bus to arrive.

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  4. Lori, I loved learning about your traditions! As a vegetarian I’d enjoy the pasta for Christmas dinner!! I might suggest we incorporate this into our festivities. We always celebrate Lucia on 13th December and as young would dress up with the crown of candles for the main Lucia and sing at workplaces and nursery. In the UK we continued the tradition at home, waking the family up with songs and specially baked cakes and once my mother helped to organise a celebration at my primary school! 😃

    Oh, we have the tradition of someone dressing up as Jultomte with his helpers to help share out the presents on Christmas Eve – but admittedly only when there were young children around. With grown nieces, nephews and my 16-year-old son, there is no call for Santa himself…my son usually takes over the role of giving out presents! Good luck with your lovely promotion and Happy Holidays to you! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thank you for sharing your traditions, Annika. I apologize for my ignorance, but what is Lucia and what is Jultomte. I enjoy learning about other cultures.

      The dressing up part sounds similar to my in-laws Christmas.

      Thanks for the nice comment.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. Thank you for sharing this with me, Annika. The Lucia celebration sounded familiar to me. I might have read it on Anneli’s blog, I’m not sure, but she is German. Forgive me for so many questions, but is your home in England now? The Lucia tradition at the cathedral will be a lovely event to experience for you.

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            1. Thanks for responding, Annika. I was mistaken and thought you had lived in the U.S. for a bit too. I love that we can communicate so easily even though so far away.

              Liked by 1 person

  6. Breaking out the old photo albums has always been both a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition for my family. You know I’ve read your book and loved it, so feel free to pick another name. Have a great Thanksgiving, Lori!

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    1. How nice to look at the happy times together in those old photo albums. Wonder how people will be looking at old pictures in the future. Thanks for sharing, Jill. Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂

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  7. We don’t really have any Thanksgiving traditions. In fact, I don’t always cook that day, because my sons will only eat the turkey. They don’t like stuffing, and only one of them will have a bit of mashed potatoes. Who doesn’t like stuffing?! So sometimes we go to a Thanksgiving buffet at a restaurant instead, where a wide variety of food is served. So that’s what we’re doing this year. The bummer is: no leftovers; the bonus is: no clean-up!

    I’ve already read your wonderful book, so feel free to choose another name if mine comes up. It’ll be a great win for someone!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Who doesn’t like stuffing, you say? ME. Yeah, not a fan here. I’m not real crazy about turkey either, but I drown it in mashed potatoes and I’m good. Doesn’t matter whether someone cooks or not, but it’s nice to have family on the day. I spent too many of them without anyone. Glad you can spend the day with your sons. Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂

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  8. My family used to have large gatherings but then my mom (the glue) died, siblings had kids and in-laws and grandkids. Now I share Thanksgiving with my brother and his wife, my husband and any friends who are tween years (this year with this set of in-laws and the next with the other). It has worked well and it’s always different.

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      1. It was my grandma who was the glue with our family. I tried being that missing piece when she left, but families didn’t want to travel to our house. I’m glad I’m back home now. Thanks for sharing this, Anneli.

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            1. Yes, but being Canadian, we have ours in mid-October. This year our American sister-in-law arrived here a week after Thanksgiving so we delayed it for a week to have ti together. This week she’s having her big do at home in the US.

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    2. Thanks for sharing, Kate. My grandma was the glue for my family. I think as generations grow, it gets tougher for everyone to be in the same place at the same time. Sounds like you worked out a good system. Happy Thanksgiving. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. What a lovely giveaway, Lori! 😀 😃 My family is scattered among their in-laws. So I’m discovering new traditions. I’ve spent the last two Thanksgivings with friends who are like family! We play board games and eat lots and lots of turkey and pie! 😀 😃 I hope you’ll have a great Thanksgiving!

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    1. We spent a lot of holidays just my husband, me and the dog. They were nice, but hanging with friends, like you’re doing, is better. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too, L. 🙂

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