Amy R. Anguish shares how her real life dates with her husband inspire her fiction. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for a copy of her latest Contemporary Romance, Mama Dated Santa. U.S. only. Deadline: Oct 28th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Amy:
Holi-dates
If you’re like most people, when the holidays come, life gets busier than ever. Parties, church events, shopping, and so much more. And if you’re like my family, you have all the traditions to weave in too.
My kids love making cookies and other treats any chance they get. Especially if they’re the roll-out kind that they can decorate. They’re begging to make some for Halloween this year. We’ll see. We’ll also need to drive around and see lights, listen to music, decorate the tree and outside, and several other things.
In all that busy-ness and rushing, do you find time for a date?
A date? When? Where? Is it even worth it?
My husband and I try to go on several dates through the year, but sometimes it slips when our schedules are so full. That being said, we’ve had several holi-dates through the years.
When we were dating in college, my husband took me to the symphony to hear Christmas music. That
was a fun night of dressing up and feeling fancy.
Before we had children, we joined our friends at Christmas parties for a fun night out. Food, games, and fellowship.
There was the year we went to a Christmas light drive-through with some friends.
We’ve gone to holiday movies on Christmas day in the past.
And a couple years ago, we went to see a play (“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”).
Though things are so busy anymore, I’m just as happy to curl up together on the couch and stare at the Christmas lights in the quiet of our house after the kids go to bed, there can be some extra-special fun date nights during the holidays.
In my new book, Mama Dated Santa, my characters Nick and Trudy end up doing several fun holiday-themed date ideas. (How can there not be with a title like that?) First, they’re tricked into attending a couples’ session at the local painting place—but their canvas of kissing reindeer turn out cute. They have a night out at his cousin’s ranch where acres of lights are hung for them to drive through. That’s one of my favorite things to do. And of course, there’s the drive after Christmas dinner to hear one of her favorite songs played a special way.
I won’t give away any more, but I had a lot of fun coming up with holiday ideas for them to do together as a new couple.
Question for Readers: What about you? Have you ever had an extra-special date during the holidays? What’s something you think would make a fun holi-date?
About Amy: Amy R Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two. Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good. Learn more & connect:
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About the book – Mama Dated Santa Claus:
Trudy McNamara doesn’t do Christmas anymore. But she will do anything for her nephew Mark, even take him to visit Santa. After Dad died and the holiday bucket lists stopped, December hasn’t been the same. But Trudy finds herself tangled up with the toy store Santa and Christmas when she discovers her mom … dated Santa.
Nick Russo, manager of Russos’ Toy Emporium, is at a loss as to how to save his family’s store. When Uncle Paul, the Santa and part-owner, hires Trudy to revamp their store, Nick’s life turns upside down. He’s been so focused on the numbers, the Christmas season has become nothing more than one last drive for sales. But Trudy makes him re-evaluate his attitude as well as want to help hers.
Can two holiday-haters renew their love for the season … and more?
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Interested in Amy’s other titles? Get your copy/copies now!
Mama Dates Santa Claus Amy’s Books
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I think driving around looking at Christmas lights, riding in a horse and carriage ride, while drinking hot chocolate and eating Christmas cookies would be the perfect hoil-date!
That does sound perfect!!!
Hot chocolate and a sleigh ride into the forest to cut down Christmas tree
Sounds like fun! I’ve never actually cut down a Christmas tree before.
Going out to dinner and afterwards looking around at Christmas lights. There’s a street near us where all the houses on that street go all out on Christmas light decorating.
I love streets like that!
Long ago, when the Arkansas Razorbacks were in the Southwest Conference and every other team in the Southwest Conference was from Texas, we went to a basketball game in Little Rock. We played some team from Texas and beat the tar out of them. Back then, early in our marriage, we’d only ventured to Little Rock a handful of times. This was before GPS and everything looks different after dark. We took a wrong turn and another and another.
In the distance, we could see a red glow. Traffic slowed. We thought it was an accident. Traffic crept. The glow got bigger. We thought it was a fire. Finally, as we neared the glow, we realized it was the Jennings Osborne house.
Each year, the Osborne family decorated with Christmas lights. I mean DECORATED. Mostly red lights, but they added other colors over the years. We’d heard about it. Neighbors complained every year about the traffic. We never went to see it because of the traffic. But our wrong turns took us straight there that night.
It was amazing. It looked like they couldn’t possibly step out of the house without getting tangled in lights. By this time, the Osborne’s had bought the house of each side of them so the complaining members could move. I’ll never forget it. It was the perfect date. The hogs beat TX and we saw the Osborne lights. Afterward, we stopped at a gas station, got directions, and made it home.
A few years later, another neighbor took the Osborne’s to court. The judge ruled they could only turn the lights on for certain hours on certain days. When a family came from another state to see the lights, only to find them off due to the new rules, Jennings Osborne turned them on anyway. And got fined, then his lights permanently snuffed due to the judge’s ruling.
Disney World got involved and moved the light display there for few years. They’re gone now.
I’m so glad we had that date and got to see them. It was indescribable and a great memory we share.
That’s such a cool memory!
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Thanks for commenting.
When the kids were little sometimes, we would watch a Christmas movie and share some snacks. This would allow us some time to unwind from our busy days while spending some time to snuggle up and enjoy each other’s company.
I love doing that too. Especially the old Christmas specials.
I have a winner! Sherry Brown won the drawing. I appreciate Amy for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.