Welcome to Mountain Brook Ink’s 2018 Holiday Blog Tour! We’re so excited you’ve decided to join us on this journey of family, friends, traditions, and memories over the next month. You as our reader have done so much to pour into our lives, and this season we want to give back to you with insights into our lives AND some giveaways. The more days you follow, share, comment, and engage with us, the more entries you’ll have toward a Kindle Fire Grand Prize or one of three Amazon Gift Cards!

Merry Christmas from Miralee Ferrell

Over the years, our lives change. No matter how much we might want them to stay the same, that’s not realistic. Sometimes holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas bring great joy, and other times, great sorrow. It’s incredibly hard to lose someone any time of the year, but it seems to be magnified during this holiday season. I want to say that as the publisher at Mountain Brook Ink, I can assure you we stand with those of you who are hurting. If you need prayer, please leave a quick comment. You don’t have to share what it is if you’d rather not, simply say you’re hurting and would appreciate prayer. We will commit to pray. We care.

I believe God gives us things that help balance out sorrow. Sometimes it’s the joy of a new life coming into the world. While I didn’t lose someone during the holidays, I have suffered loss other times of the year. But I’ve also experienced amazing joy with the birth of my two children, and years later, the birth of our son’s little girl, Kate. Those of you who know I also write horse books for girls, may recognize Kate’s name as the lead character in my Horses and Friends series. And I’m happy to say my own little Kate is now falling in love with horses. I’m a happy grandma (Nani).

I’d like to share a couple of pictures of my precious granddaughter at Christmas, as she’s the light of my life right now. Unfortunately, they live in San Antonio where our son is serving in the military, so we can’t have Christmas together. But this too will pass, and the day will come when he leaves active duty and are home again. I can’t wait!

I’m also including one of my other little girl…Lacey. She wasn’t too sure about the train, but she was a good sport while I took her picture.

It’s the Small Things
by Nikki Wright

In 2009 when my family moved from Southern California to North Idaho on Christmas Eve, I never would’ve guessed that it would mark the transition to a long series of tragedies. Over the next six years alone we were hanging on a thread financially, I had my first serious bout of severe depression (and gained 50 lbs during that time), we lost my grandfather, my grammy (on opposite side), an uncle, an aunt, multiple friends, and multiple more dear relatives.

But in spite of so much heartache, loss, and tragedy, we were granted little blessings that would lead to large sign posts of grace, provision, and kindness. My parents had lived in that house in Southern California for 25 years, and before then my grandparents had owned that house. Moving wasn’t just a transition from one place to another, but a time of uprooting old ties and leaving a home infused with generations of memories.

But as I reflect on that time, I am humbled by the love that was poured onto our family. My grandparents on my dad’s side came to visit us the day after we’d moved there to spend Christmas with us so we wouldn’t be alone. The majority of our Christmas stuff was in storage, so my Grandmother went out and got us the tiniest, most adorable Christmas tree and ornaments to decorate it. We were living in the only rental that would take our dogs: a 6500-ish sqft house with an elevator now decorated by a three-foot-tall Christmas tree.

And it was perfect.

In addition to my grandparents, my uncle and my sister’s friend’s brother (I am not kidding) drove the 1,200 miles with me, my parents, my sister, a saint Bernard, a shih tzu, a bearded dragon, a mouse, a guinea pig, two beta fish, and two turtles to help us settle in for the first week.

My mom and I have reflected together over the last five years in particular, the little ways God has shown us His love. When we were abruptly kicked out of the rental house, we found a house that would become a home and managed to close escrow the day before we needed to be out of the rental.

My mom collects Christmas dinnerware, and on more than one occasion when she was having a difficult day, she would find a single teacup that matched her set exactly at the thrift store.

The last nine years have been an adventure, for sure; sometimes a good one, sometimes a tragic one. But it’s been a beautiful journey, a good story, one full of tiny reminders for big truths. Reminders like teacups and Christmas trees.

The Un-Holiday
by Kristen G. Johnson

Holidays come in all shapes and sizes. Many are celebrated all over the world, some around the nation, and others are merely for local towns. Growing up, my family celebrated all the usual holidays, but we also celebrated another holiday with only our family. It was one that was just for fun: Groundhog Day.

In my teen years, my mom got the great idea to celebrate Groundhog Day. It’s a day that breaks up the time between New Years and Valentine’s Day in an otherwise bleak, cold stretch of winter. On Groundhog Day, we would go to the store and get crackers and cheeses, dips and spreads, chips and desserts and make a huge plate of appetizers. (During this time, we discovered one of my favorite recipes: Chicken Artichoke Dip. Check it out. It’s super yummy!) Then we all gathered around the coffee table, sitting on the floor, and enjoyed our appetizers while one of us started up the classic movie, Groundhog Day.

We would laugh as Bill Murray changed from a selfish, cynical weatherman who hated everyone and everything, especially Punxsutawney Phil, to someone who cared for those around him. When it was over, we would pack up the appetizers for snacks throughout the week, and we’d smile at each other at our own private holiday. It was fun and funny, and one that I loved growing up.

I haven’t been able to bring out this tradition for my own girls yet. They’ll still too young to get Phil’s antics and lessons learned, but someday soon I hope to go shopping for salami and Ritz and putting in Groundhog Day for yet another viewing of one of my favorite “holiday” films.

The Team

Newest Release from Miralee Ferrell

Trouble on the Trail
(HORSES AND FRIENDS, #6)

When Kate Farris and her friends witness a cantankerous, old man drop part of a hand-drawn map, they try to return it to him, but the cranky man drives off. Upon investigating, they learn the man is Mr. Benson, an old prospector and hermit who lives in the nearby hills. After several horseback rides along the trails in the woods, the kids find more adventure than they anticipated. When Kate and Tori overhear two men discussing Mr. Benson, rumors of the gold he’s found, and how they plan to rob him, Kate and her friends know they have to warn Mr. Benson before the thieves can strike. But what will happen if their plan backfires, and the men come after them?

Full Tour Schedule:

Stop #1: October 28 – Kimberly Rose Johnson
Stop #2: October 29 – Christina Coryell
Stop #3: October 30 – Mary Davis
Stop #4: October 31 – Angela Ruth Strong
Stop #5: November 1 – Susan Page Davis
Stop #6: November 2 – Amy K. Rognlie
Stop #7: November 3 – Gayla K. Hiss
Stop #8: November 4 – Christa MacDonald
Stop #9: November 5 – Linda Hanna & Deborah Dulworth
Stop #10: November 6 – Richard Spillman
Stop #11: November 7 – Annette M. Irby
Stop #12: November 8 – Miralee Ferrell
Stop #13: November 9 – Jeanette-Marie Mirich
Stop #14: November 10 – Anna Zogg
Stop #15: November 11 – Teresa H. Morgan
Stop #16: November 12 – Kelsey Norman
Stop #17: November 13 – Barbara J. Scott
Stop #18: November 14 – Patricia Lee
Stop #19: November 15 – Linda Thompson
Stop #20: November 16 – Janalyn Voigt
Stop #21: November 17 – Cynthia Herron
Stop #22: November 18 – Trish Perry
Stop #23: November 19 – Heather L.L. Fitzgerald
Stop #24: November 20 – Sara Davison
Stop #25: November 21 – Taylor Bennett

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