Friday, December 12, 2025

CHRISTMAS BOOK: 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?


Available in both kindle format and paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Madisons-Christmas-Madison-Rand-Book-ebook/dp/B00PSNA7FM/


Reviews:

"Madison's Christmas was a fast passed, easy, fun and such a sweet Christmas story. It's about how one person is all it takes to change how your Christmas can turn out for the better. Very cute!"


"I really love Carol Ann's work! This love story was fun, true to life, a magical romance. I love short stories because they are not drawn out and over done. Carol Ann has a wonderful way to her writing. She makes you feel all the emotions and leaves you feel good inside. This short story will leave a smile on your face and a big "ah" with it as you put two and two together.

All Madison wants for Christmas is to be left alone. She usually has a magical wish for Christmas and enjoying the holiday fun, but not this year. Her Sister talks her into coming over for Christmas. But first she has to deal with a new employee, court and meetings galore. This new guys seems very familiar to her, but she can't put her figure on it. She makes it through the week and heads to her Sisters. Madison and the kids go on an errand and when they return, Madison has the surprise of her life. Christmas Magic!
I enjoyed this book very much. The pace was excellent and the story wonderful. This is a must read for everyone."



"Well-written fast paced short story about a high-powered well-intentioned female boss and her struggles to cope with the merriment of the Christmas season, while facing the recent loss of her father and her best friend. Madison reluctantly promises her sister Susan that she will join the family for Christmas. In the meantime, Kyle, a brand new employee, falls in love with Madison. Through a complicated mix-up, he confuses her with another employee. Madison struggles to hold her feelings in check, knowing that she must soon reveal her true identity. This story presents a realistic portrait of the situations many people face during the holidays. Characters are realistic and well-developed. I was able to empathize with them, feeling both their laughter and pain. Highly entertaining read."






Excerpt:

Chapter 1

“Madison… you ARE coming to Christmas dinner, aren’t you?” Susan anxiously asked her sister as soon as she answered the phone. “You didn’t return my phone calls…any of them.”

“Suze, please, ask me to do anything else, but not Christmas dinner,” Madison said slowly with a sigh.  “I can’t do Christmas this year, not without Dad, not without Bob.”

“Oh, honey, I know. We all miss him.  And I know how much you miss Bob.  But as cruel as it may sound, life goes on, Sis. Tommy and I have to make Christmas a happy day for our kids, and Trina and Scott want their auntie here.  Plus nobody believes in the magic of Christmas like you, little sister.”  

“Not this year, Susan.”  

“Maddie, please come,” she begged.

“I don’t know, Suze,” she said finally, giving Susan hope.

“Come on Saturday.  We’ll bake cookies with Trina and dance around to Christmas music, like we did when we were kids. She’d just love it. We need to make those memories for my daughter. On Sunday, you and I can catch up, get some sisters’ time, and then you’ll be here early on Christmas morning to see the kids open their presents.  It’ll be simple Christmas fun. Nothing about this is going to be easy for any of us, but it’ll be easier if we’re together.”

“Not really,” Madison said with a laugh.  “If I’m not there, I can just pretend that it’s not Christmas.”

“Really?  No radio, no TV, no Christmas carols in the stores?  You can’t escape Christmas, Madison.”

“I have a plan.  I’ll stay inside, drapes drawn.  Piles of DVDs, pajamas, a gallon of Rocky Road, and a spoon.”

“That sounds strangely comforting in a ‘hermit in a cave’ kind of way, but Maddie… I need you here.” Madison knew Susan had a rough year as well, and Christmas with two young children needs to be a magical time. She shook her head.

“All right, all right, I’ll do it.  For the kids,” she said begrudgingly, all while banging her head on her refrigerator, wondering how she could be a such a formidable force at the office and in the community, and putty in her big sister’s hands. 

“I have the best sister in the world,” said Susan.









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Thursday, December 11, 2025

CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Feast of the Seven Fishes (TubI)


Being an Italian girl who married who married a non-Italian, non-Catholic man, I identified with this movie. 

My husband, however, embraced the food and traditions and customs of the holiday and my family, only uncomfortable with the decibel level, whispering to me, “Why are they all yelling at each other?”












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Wednesday, December 10, 2025

CHRISTMAS MOVIES: A Castle for Christmas (Netflix)

 




Brooke Shields and Carey Elwes star in this sweet Christmas movie destined to be a classic. Brooke plays a successful American author who travels to Scotland to get away from it all at home. 

She falls in love with Scotland and this gorgeous castle, and then discovers her father worked in this castle as a young man. 

The castle owner needs to sell it. The bank is pressuring him. 

She wants to buy it. 






Oh, I loved this little Netflix Christmas movie! An author takes a vacation from her best-selling author life and goes to Scotland. She tours a castle where her father worked and discovers it's for sale. 

Miles, the duke who owes the castle, like all good dukes worldwide, doesn't really want to sell the castle and leave his home, but he is being squeezed by the bank.

Gorgeous Scottish vistas and beautiful Scottish music make this film a perfect little Christmas gem.

And it has Carey Elwes in it! 













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Tuesday, December 9, 2025

CHRISTMAS: Christmas Candy Train


So, you’re not much of a baker? You don’t have much success with flour, sugar, and whatever that thing is the makes the batter rise into beautiful, soft pillows of decadent deliciousness? 
Me, either! I can cook, but my forays into the world of baking were like science experiments gone horrible wrong. I understand. 
Here is a project for you from the lovely people from Taste of Home.



 





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Monday, December 8, 2025

CHRISTMAS SNACK RECIPE: White Chocolate Christmas Trail Mix


 





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Sunday, December 7, 2025

SCHEDULE: December 8-12, 2025




Monday, December 8 - CHRISTMAS RECIPE:
White Chocolate Christmas Trail Mix

Tuesday, December 9 - CHRISTMAS CRAFT:
Christmas Candy Train

Wednesday, December 10 - CHRISTMAS MOVIE:
A Castle for Christmas
(Netflix)

Thursday, December 11 - CHRISTMAS MOVIE:
Feast of the Seven Fishes
(Netflix)

Friday, December 12 - CHRISTMAS BOOK:
Madison's Christmas 
by Carol Ann Kauffman 








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Friday, December 5, 2025

CHRISTMAS BOOK: I Need Christmas, An Oakville Family Christmas by Carol Ann Kauffman



 After a depressing year of sadness, loneliness, and self-doubt, successful civil engineer and former All-American basketball star Elizabeth (Betsy) Curry returns home to Oakville, Ohio, for the Christmas holidays a depressed and broken women. 

Reeling from her bitter divorce from the handsome, charming, but morally decrepate Tommy DeMalio, her college sweetheart and first big love, who left her after two years of what she thought was a good marriage for a stripper he met at an office bachelor party for her co-worker, Betsy feels lost and empty. 

Not exactly anticipating the happy holiday with her family and their multitude of joyful Christmas customs and long-time storybook-like traditions, she knows she needs them in order to heal. 

Once comfortable at home and feeling somewhat better about herself, Tommy shows up and claims he wants a reconciliation, throwing her back into the self-destructive cycle of doubt, hostility, and suspision she is trying so hard to escape.

She discovers her father has set her up with his protégé at work, the tall, handsome, athletic red-haired Patrick, who, try as hard as she can, she can’t find a single thing she doesn’t like about him.

So, what’s the problem? 

Betsy feels it’s too soon for her to love again. How can she love anyone again when she doesn’t like herself or what she’s become since the break-up. Also, she fears she will hurt the sweet, gentle Patrick.

Will the love, joy, and goodwill of the holiday season coupled with the many long-time holiday 
customs and Curry family traditions help Betsy to find herself again? Will she be strong enough to lift herself out of her self-induced prison so that she can take another chance on love?





Amazon Link:






Thursday, December 4, 2025

CHRISTMAS MOVIE: Klaus (2024) on Netflix


 
J.K. Simmons is a national treasure. I first remember him as the psychologist in the early Law Order series. Later, he was the insurance guy on TV commercials. 

But this guy has serious acting chops. He can carry the whole show, all by himself. If you have not seen him in the following, you are missing out:

         1. Night Sky*
         2. Being the Ricardo's*
         3. Goliath
         4. The Tomorrow War
         5. Brockmire
         6. 21 Bridges
         7. Counterpart*
         8. The Snowman
         9. The Accountant
        10. La La Land
                    (I have starred my favorites.)

This versatile actor also does one great Santa Claus.
















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Wednesday, December 3, 2025

CHRISTMAS RECIPE: Cranberry Butter Crunch Bars


 

From A Taste of Home







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Tuesday, December 2, 2025

CHRISTMAS CRAFTS: Mason Jar Snowman Votives


 
From Pinterest







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