SANTA CONTEST

OLIVER’S SANTA CONTEST

HO HO HO! Santa Oliver has come to town to announce the winner of his contest. He wanted to know what Christmas carol or movie makes you sentimental and why. After making a list and checking it twice, he has a winner. With no further ado, here’s Oliver.

A ho ho ho and a Merry Christmas! Thank y’all so very much for entering my contest. Each of your stories have moved me to tears. Here are the entries.

Well my favorite is the movie   Frosty the Snowman. The reason why is that I was living in the Gulf and went on job interview. Well   a lady came  out of the house and then  I sat at the table and filled out the info for her;  well  she  said 'my husband has to decide. Well  what come out my Mouth, Fosty the snowman  it just reminded me of him and he laughed and he said 'you be here tomorrow at  8 am' and then I worked

for him and his wife and his friends for over  2  years

Desi

I love watching The Christmas Card.  Both and my husband and I come from military

families and it means so much to us.

Every year we would have soldiers over for Christmas and share with them.  It made

it special for both of us.  Some of those Christmases stayed with me for a very long

time.

Debra Guyette

"It's a Wonderful Life"! I love this movie and every time a bell rings (lol around

christmas, at least) I always think "Huh, an angel just got his or her wings." lol

The reason why I love it is because this movie started me actually giving other classic

movies a chance, and I would have missed so many great movies if it hadn't 

Emily T

This year my christmas song is I'll be home for christmas . Last year hubby and my

dad wasnt able to get here for christmas but this year they are both suppose to get

home so i have been sing I'll be home for Christmas all month long .. there's just

nothing like have the whole family here :)
Jennifer Mathis

Hi Sharon,

My favorite classic movie is Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. I love when he

has a nervous breakdown and everyone want to go home and he blows up. At the end

he want some tylenol. That gets me everytime. I often wondered how many takes he

had to do or if it was one. Every year we watch this movie. I always feel like no

matter how bad things are they can never be as bad as Christmas Vacation. Especially

the turkey. LOL. Merry Christmas.

Thanks for the giveaway.

Sue Brandes

HI SHARON,

MY FAVORITE SONG IS "I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS"  AND IT RINGS TRUE AS OUR SOLDIERS

ARE COMING HOME!

LIN

Hi,

My son has a profound hearing loss. At the children's Christmas concert he & his

classmates signed OH HOLY NIGHT as the music played softly in the background. Tears

streamed down my face the entire way through. It was incredibly beautiful.

Cheers!!

Mary Preston

My favorite holiday movie is ‘White Christmas’ with Bing Crosby and Fred Astair.

It just inspires me to think about other people during this time of the year when

we can all be overwhelmed by the commercialism of the season.   I love the songs

and the scenery, it does not hurt that it takes place in my neck of the woods up

here in New England.

Catherine Lemanski

DRUM ROLL

Oliver grins. And the winner is Mary Preston. Congratulations love. You and  your sweet son win a box of chocolates. All other entries win a pdf of Winter Wonders. Christmas Angel stars yours truly as leading alpha male. Happy reading. Stay tuned for more stories in 2012 starring Oliver. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

LOVE AND BLESSINGS

Sharon and Oliver

Legend of Christmas Candle

According to legend, throughout medieval Europe, a large candle known as the Christmas candle was burned until the twelfth night in remembrance of the arrival of the Wise Men to Bethlehem. In Victorian times, the candle represented good will and was placed in the window from December 25 to January 6 to welcome any passerby in need of shelter and food.

Many legends and superstitions are associated with candles. Certain cultures believe the burning flame will frighten away evil spirits during the darkest evenings of the year. Norwegians believe that if the Christmas candle burns out on Christmas Eve, bad luck will befall on a family member.

Legends tell us that Christmas candles light the way for the Christ child on Christmas Eve as He wanders from house to house looking for a place to stay. For this reason, no traveler should be turned away on Christmas Eve should he be the Christ child.

The custom of lighting candles on indoor trees was started in Germany to symbolize stars and was a custom that found its way to America. In today’s culture, the lighting of Christmas candles signifies the season of Christmas.

In my house, we light blue candelabras in each window as a symbol of peace and tranquility. When it snows, nothing is more beautiful than serene blue flames reflecting on a blanket of downy white. In the living room, we light fragrant pillar candles to give the house and home a warm ethereal glow.

Where do you light your Christmas candles?

Sharon Donovan

Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith

www.sharonadonovan.com

sharonad@comcast.net

My radio interview is live!

http://booktourradio.com/185

WIN A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

OLIVER’S CHRISTMAS CONTEST!

www.sharonadonovan.com

Follow me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SharonADonovan

MY BOOKS

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KINDLE AND IN PRINT

Winter Wonders

ISBN-13: 978-1-936167-66-1

Charade of Hearts
Oliver’s story!
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/charade-of-hearts-p-4346.html

Her Biggest Fan
An edge of your seat chilling suspense
ISBN: 1-60154-813-3

http://www.TheWildRosePress.com/Her-Biggest-Fan-P-4234.HTML

Mask of the Betrayer
Book one in the Mask series
Filled with so many twists, turns and surprises, you’ll be
hooked from the first chapter.
ISBN: 978-1-936167-06-7

http://www.whimsicalpublications.com/sharon_donovan/mask_of_the_betrayer.html

Echo of a Raven

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/echo-of-a-raven/7275809

Winter Wonders released today

Winter Wonders
Genre: Winter Anthology 2011


When the cold of winter sets in and your body shivers, warm up with a cup of hot
chocolate, a warm blanket, a comfy chair and a good book. Join the authors as they
share stories that will scare you, thrill you, delight you, break your heart and
entertain you, all set with a winter theme.

Hearts of Fire by Regina Puckett
Mantequero by Jenny Twist
Christmas Angel by Sharon Donovan
Till Death Do Us Part by S.M. Senden
Long Winter by Paul McDermott
Christmas Hope by Jane Wakely
Burgers and Hot Chocolate by Angela Adams
Saving Santa by Melissa Hosack
If Only by Janet Durbin
December 12, 2011
ISBN-13:978-1-936167-64-6
PURCHASE HERE

Whimsical Publications,
LLC/paperback, 174 pages
Ebook $4.99
December 2011
$11.95
ISBN-13: 978-1-936167-66-1

Legend of Rudolph

Origin of the legend

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer is the only addition to the Santa folklore in the twentieth century. In 1939, Robert May, an advertising copywriter for the Montgomery Ward Department Store in Chicago conceived the idea for a shiny nosed reindeer, a Santa’s helper to distribute to parents and children. An artist friend, Denver Gillen spent hours at a local zoo drawing whimsical sketches of reindeer at rest and play. After many names, May finally settled on naming the reindeer Rudolph, the preference of his four-year old daughter. That Christmas in 1939, 2.4 million copies of the Rudolph booklet were handed out at Montgomery Ward stores across the country.

Rudolph was reprinted as a Christmas booklet sporadically until 1947. That winter a friend of May’s, Johnny Marks, put the poem to music. One professional singer after the next declined the opportunity to record the song until 1949 when Gene Autry consented. The Autry recording rocketed to the top of the Hit Parade. Since then, 300 different recordings have been made and more than eighty million records sold. The original Autry hit is second only to Bing Crosby’s White Christmas as the best  selling record of all times.

Sharon Donovan

Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith

www.sharonadonovan.com

sharonad@comcast.net

My radio interview is live!

http://booktourradio.com/185

WIN A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

OLIVER’S CHRISTMAS CONTEST!

www.sharonadonovan.com

Follow me on Twitter

http://twitter.com/SharonADonovan

MY BOOKS

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KINDLE AND IN PRINT

Charade of Hearts
Oliver’s story!
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/charade-of-hearts-p-4346.html

Her Biggest Fan
An edge of your seat chilling suspense
ISBN: 1-60154-813-3

http://www.TheWildRosePress.com/Her-Biggest-Fan-P-4234.HTML

Mask of the Betrayer
Book one in the Mask series
Filled with so many twists, turns and surprises, you’ll be
hooked from the first chapter.
ISBN: 978-1-936167-06-7

http://www.whimsicalpublications.com/sharon_donovan/mask_of_the_betrayer.html

Echo of a Raven              

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/echo-of-a-raven/7275809

Legend of St. Nick

The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in the ancient Southeastern Turkish town of Lycia early in the forth century. His generosity was legendary and he was particularly fond of children which led to his becoming the patron saint of children.

During the middle ages and well beyond, he was referred to by many names, none of them Santa Claus. Children today would not recognize the St. Nick who brought gifts to European children all those centuries ago. Except for a billowy white beard, he bore no resemblance to Santa. He wore red and white bishop’s robes and arrived on donkey opposed to fleet-footed reindeer.  And he arrived not late on Christmas Eve to leave gifts but on his Christian feast day of December 6^{th. Gifts he left at the hearth were fruit, nuts, hard candy, clay and wooden figurines.}

During the sixteenth century, St. Nicholas was banished by most European countries, replaced by more secular figures who were not considered center stage at that point in history.

The Dutch kept the tradition of St. Nicholas alive. As the protector of sailors, he graced the prow of the first Dutch ship to arrive in America. The first church in New York City was named after St. Nicholas.

The Dutch brought two items with them to the new world that were quickly Americanized. In Sixteenth Century Holland, children would leave wooden shoes filled with straw before the hearth the night of St. Nicholas’s arrival. The straw was a meal for the gift-laden donkey. In return, the saint would insert a small gift in the clog. In America the wooden shoe was replaced by a stocking hung at the chimney.

The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas ‘Sint Nikolass’ which in the new world became ‘Sinterklass’ and eventually Santa Claus.

Much of modern-day lore, including a reindeer-drawn sleigh originated in America, and it was here that he put on weight. The rosy cheeks and roly-poly Santa are credited to the influential nineteenth century cartoonist Thomas Nast. From 1863 until 1886 Nast created a series Of Christmas drawings for Harpers Weekly. These drawings exhibited a gradual evolution from the pudgy elf-like creature to the roly poly bearded life-size bell ringing Santa recognized on street corners today.

Sharon Donovan

Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith

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