Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Christmas is Coming ...



Christmas is coming soon.  How about a $10 Amazon gift certificate under your tree courtesy of 5 Prince Publishing?  It would also be a nice gift for Hanukkah.  It could even be used to purchase a book!

The Kid's Books Blog Hop was a lot of fun. The winner of the signed edition of The Phantom Student was Roberta Horn.  Her book is in the mail!

The winner of the $30 gift card from Amazon is Karina aka Swordlily.  She has also been notified.  (Random.org chooses all our winners.)



 My awesome publisher, Bernadette Marie, at 5 Prince Publishing, is giving away the $10 gift certificate just for answering a quick question.  That's right.  All you have to do is answer this question from my book, ALL FOR LOVE.  The question is: Could you forgive a cheating spouse?  There is no right or wrong answer, just tell me your thoughts, include your email address (so we can notify you if you win) and then you are  entered.  It's that simple.  So what are you waiting for?  Give yourself a little gift this holiday season! Giveaway ends Dec. 16th, winner will be notified by email on the 17th.

Read on for a Christmas excerpt from All For Love.  

In this scene, Liz travels to Denver to be with her daughter, Ashley (and her husband, Tracy), since it will the first Christmas without Quinn.  (Liz is the narrator)



            I flew to Denver two days before Christmas.  I wanted to avoid the holiday crush at the airports, but I didn’t want to arrive so early that I wore out my welcome before we even had a chance to celebrate.
            We had a leisurely dinner the first night, near the airport since my flight was somewhat delayed, and then the next night was Christmas Eve so we ate sandwiches and then went to the midnight service at the Methodist church Ash and Tracy attended.
            That’s when I first suspected the bloom was off the rose for the semi-newlyweds.
            In the pew, Ashley sat between Tracy and me, but I could see that every time he tried to get close or take her hand, she moved away.  Once, I was certain I saw tears in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away as we lit our candles in the darkness.
            Uh-oh, I thought.  Should I go home, ask what’s wrong, or just pretend everything is all right?  I hoped it was just the emotion of the season plus it being our first holiday without Quinn that was causing the problem, but sure enough, that night after I’d gone to bed, I heard their voices raised in anger.
            I lay in their lovely little guest room and relived the last few months in my mind.  If she’d

said anything about them having problems, I couldn’t remember it.  Christmas morning dawned bright and white.  I awoke to the sound of Bing Crosby singing about his dreams of a white Christmas and tears immediately clouded my eyes.  Quinn had always played that song to wake Ashley on Christmas morning when she was a child.  When she got old enough to wake up first, she would get up and put it on.  At first it was vinyl, then a cassette, and toward the end, it was a CD.

            I walked into the living room tying my robe.  Tracy was turning up the volume on his iPod, which was docked into a slot between a pair of smallish speakers.  “So that’s what it’s come to, huh?”  I tried to sound jovial.
            Tracy looked up.  His eyes were shadowed and I was pretty sure he hadn’t had much sleep the night before.  “Morning, Mom.  Yes,” he indicated the iPod set up.  “I always try to make sure Ashley’s song is playing on Christmas morning.”  He smiled tiredly.  “Hard to believe this is our third holiday together.  It seems bittersweet this year.”  Then he walked over and hugged me.  That worried me.  Tracy was not a hugger.  He and I had a cordial relationship based on mutual respect.  This Tracy was new, but then, a lot had changed these last few months.
            “What is it?” I asked.  “Is Ash okay?”  
            She arrived at that very moment, and seeing Tracy embracing me must have floored her, too.  She turned on her heel and headed for the kitchen.
            Tracy groaned and took off after her.  His folks were expecting us all for Christmas dinner later in the afternoon, but at this rate, I didn’t see how we’d ever get out of the house.
            I stood in the middle of the living room listening to Quinn and Ashley’s favorite Christmas song.  Tracy must have programmed it to repeat; it should have been over by now.  I debated just bursting into the kitchen and demanding to know what was going on, but they weren’t children.  And even if Tracy had been about to confide in me, that wasn’t quite enough reason for me to intrude.

         I gazed at the lovely little tree so gaily lit and gleaming with shiny icicles—Ashley’s favorite trim.  We’d each placed our gifts under the tree before going to the midnight service the night before.  Now, for the first time, I let myself fantasize about what it would be like to have a grandchild to wrap toys for on Christmas.  But that notion was quickly ruined by the loud voices coming from the kitchen.

            Like a mouse, I crept back to the guest room and got dressed.  I said a quick and silent prayer for Ash and Tracy to solve their differences so we could get on with our celebrating.  In the back of my mind, I wondered if I should have done us all a favor and simply stayed at home with my empty house and my memories.

Afterthought:  Hope you enjoyed the excerpt.  Remember to answer the question at the top of the blog to be eligible for the $10 Amazon gift card!




35 comments:

The 4-Crows Blog said...

I am so getting your book! Forgive, but not forget. And certainly would move on. Been hurt in past relationships do to cheating. Not going there again.

Unknown said...

So to answer the question; it would depend on the situation. Honestly I have been in a relationship where my spouse cheated and I did not forgive them, because it was actually an affair that had been carried on for years. However, if it was a drunken one night thing, then I might be able to. It is hard to say, but it would definitely depend on the situation. My email is reynahawk@gmail.com thank you.

Unknown said...

To answer the question it really would depend on the situation. To be honest, my ex cheated on me and I did not forgive him. However, it was more like an affair because the infidelity was with the same person and lasted for years. If it had been a drunken one night thing, then I might have. It truly depends on the situation. My email is reynahawk@gmail.com

Ann Swann said...

Thank you, ShaRonda! And good luck in the drawing for the gift certificate. (PS ~ I think you will cheer for Liz when she confronts her hubby's lover!)

Unknown said...

I loved the little tease of this now I need to find out what's what!!!! Will I did have a cheaper and yes I took him back only because we did have small kids at the time and he was a great father . I am glad I did . but in other peoples lifes it might not be the best thing to do. never know what is what? But any who Merry Christmas ... cwellman68@gmail.com.

Ann Swann said...

Thanks for sharing, Reyna. Cheating is sooo common. I agree, everyone is different, and every situation is different, too!

Ann Swann said...

Thanks for entering the drawing, Cathy. You will definitely relate to Liz in the book ~ many people tell me they love her and hate her at the same time!

Deanna Lynn Sletten said...

Hi Ann,

You know that I loved "All For Love" and I'd recommend it to everyone! As for a cheater - I've been lucky enough to not have experienced this in my life but I have to say that I'd have trouble forgiving or forgetting. I'd always be wondering if he'd cheat again, and that would drive me crazy. I hope I never have to find out how I'd react. :) Thanks for the giveaway! sletten at paulbunyan dot net

Anonymous said...

I'd love a book courtesy of 5 Prince Publishing. Thanks for the opportunity.

Ann Swann said...

Thanks, Deanna, glad you loved it. (I'm about to go read some more on Sara's Promise ~ we went to a concert by Bryan Adams tonight ~ really great!)

As for the cheating, I think Liz always wondered, too. Don't you?

Ann Swann said...

Excellent, Stephen. Thanks for stopping by.

Unknown said...

I would never forgive a person who cheats on me. I have been there already. I know myself, and I know that I would forgive but never forget, so that would make it very difficult to move on, so that would lead to further nasty situations. So I better leave the person.

Your book is in my TBR list, reaching the top little by little :D Thanks for the giveaway!

littlenaniadventures at gmail dot com

Rhonda's Doings said...

I honestly don't know if I could forgive a cheating spouse. I like to think that I could forgive that, but that would be a huge betrayal. It would be very very difficult to do, but I hope I would try! Thanks for chance to win gift card. Merry Christmas!
Rhonda
rhonda_nash_hall@comcast.net

Paul R. Hewlett said...

I think I could, of course I hope I never have to find out if I am fooling myself about that. A lot would depend on the circumstances involved too, I think. Yeah, I'd like to think unless there was just nothing to the marriage that I could forgive. Thanks for the giveaway & I really enjoyed your excerpt!

Paul R. Hewlett

Anonymous said...

Hi Ann, great excerpt from your book! Has me wondering what is going on and I'll be sure to add this to my TBR list. As far as your question, that is a hard one to answer. As others have said, it would depend on the situation. If it was a one time only thing and it happened because he had been drunk or if we had had a major argument, then I might be able to get past it. I could forgive but I know I wouldn't forget. If he'd been cheating on me for years with multiple people (think Tiger Woods) then I would not be able to get past that and I'd have to leave him. Great question! Best of luck to you and wishing you a very Merry Christmas! ~ Joni

Anonymous said...

What a great excerpt! It certainly has left me wondering what is going on and I have added All For Love to my TBR list. As for your question, like so many others have said, it would depend on the situation. If I knew for certain it had been a one time thing, and he had been drunk or we had had a major fight or had been separated, then I think I might be able to forgive (not forget) and move past it. I think! However, if it was a situation where he had been cheating on me for years (think Tiger Woods) then there is no way I could stay in that relationship. Very interesting question!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! ~ Joni

Anonymous said...

What a great excerpt! It certainly has left me wondering what is going on and I have added All For Love to my TBR list. As for your question, like so many others have said, it would depend on the situation. If I knew for certain it had been a one time thing, and he had been drunk or we had had a major fight or had been separated, then I think I might be able to forgive (not forget) and move past it. I think! However, if it was a situation where he had been cheating on me for years (think Tiger Woods) then there is no way I could stay in that relationship. Very interesting question!

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! ~ Joni

Bob said...

Depending on the situation, forgiving is part of the healing process. One can never forget but one can forgive and with a small amount of trust, can once more begin building again; either alone or together. Sometimes it will be stronger; sometimes it will be weaker; it is up to the builders. To forgive blindly is foolish. One must learn from the error because, strangely, both can be at fault for the reason. But the bottomline is simple, if you don't forgive, you can never heal and your heart will always ache. Email: bob@bobnailor.com

Ann Swann said...

That is certainly understandable, Cinta. Thanks for answering (and for putting AFL on your TBR). =)

Ann Swann said...

Isn't it the truth? Thanks for stopping by, Rhonda!

Ann Swann said...

Thanks, Paul. I agree with you, it's all about the circumstance and history. Glad you enjoyed the excerpt!

Ann Swann said...

My thoughts, exactly, Joni. Although that might not be what my character, Liz, decided. I won't give any spoilers, though. Have a Merry Christmas!

Ann Swann said...

Truer words were never spoken, Bob. Thanks for stopping by.

Sandy said...

Oh that is such a tough question. When I was young, I always said that I would never tolerate a spouse cheating on me. Now that I'm older and have been married for 34 years, I am in a better position to understand that no one is perfect. While it would break my heart if my husband cheated on me, after some time to get over the initial shock, I'd like to think that there could be a chance to save a marriage that has lasted so long.
sandywolters(dot)author(at)gmail(dot)com

Ann Swann said...

You are a wise woman, Sandy Wolters. And like most have said, I think it all depends on the circumstance. =)

Anonymous said...

Great excerpt. It makes me want to read more! As for your question about cheating, I think with time I could forgive and move on, but I don’t think I could stay with someone who cheated on me. Fortunately, I’ve never had to face that. I’ve known couples who have gone through this and their marriage has been stronger as a result but, personally, I don’t think I could do it.

Unknown said...

I think it would depend on the circumstances, and probably a lot of counseling. I'd prefer to think that this will never happen to me, of course, but it it did, I'd like to think it's something we could work through, because I can't imagine ever being apart. andipandi10@msn.com

Ann Swann said...

Thanks for the kind words, I hope you also entered my Goodreads giveaway at the top of the page!

Ann Swann said...

I agree, Andrea. Circumstances would prevail. You seem to be a very positive person. Thanks for stopping by. =)

Lynn Worton said...

I honestly cannot say if I would forgive a cheating spouse or not. I'm not in a relationship, and I have been lucky in that I have never had to face that situation.

lynnsbookreviews2@gmail.com

Lynn Worton said...

I honestly cannot say if I would or could forgive someone who cheated on me. Luckily, I have never been in that situation.

lynnsbookreviews2@gmail.com

Ann Swann said...

Hard to know what one would do until faced with something like that. Thanks for commenting, Lynn.

Anonymous said...

I believe, also, it would depend on the circumstances. I've had to forgive someone for doing so. However, I also chose to leave them. My chose came after a lot of contemplating and weighing options.

Ann Swann said...

Thank you for replying, Jennifer. It's a hard choice, that's for sure.

wayway_2002 said...

I could, I did, and I would never do it again.