Madison's Christmas by Carol Ann Kauffman

Christmas is Madison’s favorite holiday, but this year is different. She has to face it alone, without her father and her best friend/boyfriend Bob, amid the problems of running her own high-stakes business and dealing with family issues.

Can the spirit of Christmas lift a heavy heart?

Amazon Link: http://tinyurl.com/lys6yqj

5.0 out of 5 stars Another warm story !, February 4, 2014

By 

Rebecca Kavalesky - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

Carol has a wonderful way of bringing love to the forefront. I have enjoyed several of her books,and am looking forward to reading more.You can feel that the characters all have a connection from book to book. Keep writing Carol .

5.0 out of 5 stars A Charming little story!, January 24, 2014

By 

Crystal Miles Gauthier - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

I found Madison's Christmas to be an extremely easy going read. I laughed and had fun reading this story. Made me feel good when I finished. The author sure knows how to bring her characters to life!

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading, January 15, 2014

By 

Theresa Drexler - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

I love the book and have recommended to members of my family. I would recommend this book to book lovers.

4.0 out of 5 stars Besides being a cute Christmas story..., January 4, 2014

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Never Enough Books! - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

Besides being a cute Christmas story, this novella is an excellent exploration of the demand of career on modern women and how we can get locked into job and social expectations. Madison is known as the "Dragon Lady" for her tough expectations for her employees, an attitude that helps her run a high-profile security business. She's reeling from the loss of her father and a co-worker, so perhaps that's why she doesn't correct a new employee when he doesn't realize she's the boss lady and instead treats her like an attractive, desireable woman. Now can Madison admit to the deception and get the guy? It's Christmas, the time for miracles!

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Christmas read!, December 21, 2013

By 

Viv Drewa - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

This is a lovely story I highly recommend. Carol's wonderful writing is a joy to read. You won't be disappointed.

5.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical Christmas reading..., December 20, 2013

By 

Dan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

Kauffman creates an interesting organization headed up by a protagonist with several layers--she's strong, successful, and almost Byronic in that she can help other women so easily yet has a hard time helping herself. I was curious what personal hardship caused Madison to found a woman's outreach program and how that factored into her difficulties with intimacy and supposed need for control, and I liked the idea that new love can heal old wounds without replacing the people for which we felt the hurt.
Telling the truth in fiction makes it believable. I felt like Kauffman presented a Christmas scenario that speaks to those millions who experience grief around the holiday season and gives them some hope that things can change for them--if they have a little faith.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful little read..., December 15, 2013

By 

Sandra J. Capicotti (Jupiter, Florida) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

Refreshingly sweet and funny. A perfect love story for the holidays. This is not your typical boy meets girl plot.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, December 13, 2013

By 

Raving in Alaska "CMF" (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

And short. Tight well done story that moves along nicely. I did enjoy it and will look for more by this author.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ooops you did it again..., December 7, 2013

By 

Jeanie49 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

Thoroughly enjoyed this short story with the theme of Christmas in the background. It was fast paced and an easy quick read. The character's were well developed and identifiable. The pacing and action of the characters made me think that this would be an ideal Hallmark movie. Kudos to you Carol Kauffman; you've done it again!

4.0 out of 5 stars Madison's Christmas Is A Lot of Fun!!, November 12, 2013

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pagedabbler21 - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Madison's Christmas (Kindle Edition)

Madison's Christmas is a very funny, heartwarming story of love and loss at the happiest of holidays. It tells a sweet story of a woman who loses both her father and lover in a matter of a few months. Because of this, she doesn't want to celebrate the holidays and finds every reason to work, although she promises her sister she will be there to celebrate. An office mix-up causes a case of mistaken identity and shows Madison that we never know when love will enter our life again and the importance of never giving up. I enjoyed this short story very much and it is definitely a must read for Christmas lovers everywhere.

Interview with Author Joseph Carrabis

Joseph Carrabis

I divide my time between Nashua, NH, and the landscapes of my imagination. More often the latter.

Good morning, Joseph, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors. What have you written?

I published several trade-technicals back in the 1980s, self-published some marketing neuroscience books, Reading Virtual Minds Volumes I-III, in the 2000s and 2010s, a collection of short stories, Tales Told 'Round Celestial Campfires, and a novel, Empty Sky, in the past few years. "Empty Sky" is currently out of print as I've learned a great deal about writing since I released it and am using my new learnings to improve the story-telling and -crafting. I've had my short stories, poetry and children's stories published in print magazines and online. I'm currently shopping another novel, The Augmented Man, around with agents and publishers. My short stories have been nominated for both Nebula and Pushcart.

What is your favorite genre to write?

Interesting question. My business card reads "Autobiography in the guise of fiction, fantasy,scifi, magic realism and other associated Dark Arts".

Favorite food.

Tough one. Probably anything spicy.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee. But only if it's freshly ground from finely roasted beans. I apprenticed to a coffee broker once and it spoiled me.

Pizza or ice cream?

Pizza. I routinely make hand-made pizza (including the crust) for friends. Unless it's the ice-cream Susan makes by hand for dessert after we've had pizza.

Wine or beer?

Depends on what it's with, who I'm with and the type of day we've had, and I more often will have a glass of wine than a bottle of beer.

Where would you like to visit?

Ha. Anything off axis.

Favorite musical artist.

Another tough one. Depends on my mood and the genre. I've been playing Bach two-part inventions since my early teens and I still learn something new each time I sit down to play one. Buddy Holly, ELP, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, any heavy organ music (helped repair and rebuild pipe organs when I was a teenager), Buxtehude, Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff (thank goodness I have large hands!), Michael Hedges, Willie&Lobo, Max Lasser, Ottmar Liebert, Prince, David Bowie, Andreas Vollenweider, ... Right now I'm listening to Marshall Crenshaw. I'm pretty eclectic based on two things: I learn from the music or it transports me.

Do you listen to music when you write?  

All the time and that includes the sounds of nature (often work on my backporch which abuts forest).

What makes you laugh?

Myself most often. A good joke (so subjective!).

This is an Art and Author blog, so I obliged to ask: Favorite work of art or sculpture.

Another toughy. Hmm...My honest to god first response was "The Andromeda Nebula, The Horsehead Nebula, The Crab Nebula, The Heart Stars, ..." Eventually I got to "the aurora borealis, the ocean, ..." And of course Susan is in there. Human made, though? Do cityscapes count? Buildings? Monuments of hope or charity? And do we count "favorite" as "interesting" or "amazed by" or "beautiful to look at" or ...?

How old were you when you started writing?

I think it was late single digits although I'm sure I was making up stories before that. My sister got me started.

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write?

Both. It depends on what I'm working on. Often stories come to me fully realized and I'm just recording them. Sometimes I get the last scene, nothing else and write towards that last scene. Sometimes I get an idea and then several scenes come to me over about a week. This happened with Ritchie and Phyl. I wrote the first scene then made notes on the rest (an outline in scenes).

Describe your perfect evening.

Susan and me on the backporch, our dog and cat sleeping on the futon, watching the darkness envelop the woods as they come out to say hello.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everything and Everywhere.

What do you do when you get a writer's block?

I don't get it often and when I do I can usually trace it back to the cause, alleviate the problem and continue writing. An example is Labor Relations.

Who is your favorite author?

Another tough question. It depends on what I'm reading for. And about. Craig Johnson's fairly consistent as far as storytelling and storycrafting go. I've always enjoyed his Longmire novels and short stories both as stories and writing examples. I've recently discovered Katherine Mansfield and am in awe of her skills (that theme of "learning" is cropping up again, it seems). James Dickey is a master poet. Once I get started on his stuff it's tough to put down. Langston Hughes and James Baldwin woke me up. Painfully and needfully. Ursula LeGuin. And I'd be ashamed if I didn't mention James Tiptree, Jr./Alice Sheldon. She woke me up, as well. Algis Budrys is a steady influence. Again, eclectic. We haven't even gotten into the ancients and near-ancients (everything from myths, fairytales and folklore from around the globe to Verne, Wells, Lucien, Shelley, Homer, ...) all of whom teach so much.

Best book you ever read.

The next one.

Last book you read.

Thirteen Moons/Charles Frazier (+++), Station Eleven/Emily St. John Mandel (---), The Darkening Web/Alexander Klimburg (-), No Is Not Enough/Naomi Klein (0). I rarely read a single book at a time. The last single book I read was Michael Crichton's "The Terminal Man"(+++).

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?

Something boring.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?

Susan. She said "Yes".

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?

The Universe. To discover that all my questions are meaningless, irrelevant.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?

Write, write and write. When you think you've written something that's totally completely freakin' brilliant, put it aside for at least a month, preferably a year. After that time's gone by, pick it up again and decide if it's still totally completely freakin' brilliant. If it is, send it out. If it isn't, congratulate yourself for what you've learned (as in my pulling "Empty Sky" from circulation while I improve it. I should note that everybody who's reached out to me after reading it says it's great, wonderful, spell-binding. I'm the only one so far who thinks it can be improved.)

Links:

Amazon http://nlb.pub/jdcamazon

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JosephCarrabisAuthor/

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3465227.Joseph_Carrabis

Twitter

https://twitter.com/JosephCarrabis

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephcarrabis

My blog

http://www.josephcarrabis.com

Holiday Cocktail Recipes

Good Morning Gentle Readers,

Today I have for you the favorite holiday cocktail recipes for your holiday parties.  These are from FREE-N-FUN Christmas, a part of the Oriental Trading Co.  This site holds a plethora of ideas on decorating, homemade gifts for crafters of all ages, and recipes. If you are not familiar with this site, you still have time to acquaint yourself.

My personal favorite cocktail is the Peach Bellini.  I first had one in Venice long ago.  I don't know how THEY made it, but I use equal parts Prosecco and peach juice.  I have used white grape juice when I couldn't find peach juice.  Frozen grapes make good ice cubes in this version.  Try one.

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,

Carol

Link:

http://www.bing.com/search?q=FREE-N-Fun%20Christmas&pc=cosp&ptag=A316A5D3C6E4B4B068EF&form=CONMHP&conlogo=CT3210127

Merry Christmas from Vision and Verse

Dear Gentle Readers,

We at Vision and Verse wish you the happiest of holidays. We hope the love and peace you feel in your heart this  season lasts throughout the coming new year.

We hope you've found something here on Vision and Verse that sparked your imagination or kick-started your own creativity. Or maybe, you found a new artist or author to follow!

As one of our readers, you are valued as part of our little artsy-writer community. We appreciate your interest and taking the time to stop by and see what's happening here.

Merry Christmas,
Carol

Schedule for December 25 - 29, 2017

Schedule

Mon., Dec. 25 - Merry Christmas

from Vision and Verse

Tues., Dec. 26 - Holiday Cocktail Recipes

Wed., Dec. 27 - Interview with Author

Joseph Carrabis

Thurs., Dec. 28 - Lei Xue,

Chinese Porcelian Artist

Fri., Dec. 29 - Madison's Christmas

by Carol Ann Kauffman