Friday, November 23, 2012

Let the Holiday Season Begin!



Whether you call it Black Friday or just the day after Thanksgiving, here in the U.S., today is the day we officially kick off the Christmas holiday season.  For some, that means getting up in the middle of the night - or staying up all night - to score amazing deals at local stores.  For others, it means gathering the family together to begin decorating the house for Christmas.  For me, it signals the beginning of my month-long  baking and candy making marathon as well as the day when I give myself permission to begin playing all my favorite Christmas music over and over...and over.

Here at The Romance Dish, today signals our one week countdown to Romancing the Holidays!  On Friday, November 30, we will host four fabulous authors:  Victoria Alexander, Grace Burrowes, Vanessa Kelly and Theresa Romain as we officially kick off the holiday season.  Beginning at 9am (EST) and continuing to 9pm (EST), each author will be here for a three hour block of time during which they will have a new blog posted at the start of each hour, will be commenting and responding to your comments throughout their three hours and will announce a prize winner at the end of each hour.  To be eligible for the prizes, be sure to visit the Romancing the Holidays landing page and pre-register before November 30!

In addition to the hourly prizes from each author, there will also be two baskets of goodies awarded to libraries or women's shelters randomly chosen from those nominated by the readers who register at the landing page, holiday-gala.com so be sure to register and submit the name of a library or women's shelter in your area!

Here's a list of the hourly prizes that will be given away by the authors during the Romancing the Holidays gala on November 30:


1 LADY LOUISA’S CHRISTMAS KNIGHT
2 HIS MISTLETOE BRIDE
3 SEASON FOR SURRENDER
4 WHAT HAPPENS AT CHRISTMAS
5 Stocking filled with all 4 books
6 Book + Mug + English Christmas crackers  
7 Book + What Happens at Christmas mouse pad + White House Ornament 
8 Book+ Southern praline candy + What Happens at Christmas mouse pad  
10 All 4 books + Ornament, Tea Towel + English Christmas crackers  
11 Book + Set of David Winter cottage ornaments  
12 eReader + Box of chocolate truffles + Set of David Winter cottage ornaments

Does the day after Thanksgiving signal the beginning of the holiday season for you?  Will you be among the bleary-eyed shoppers searching for that one perfect gift at 2am?  Do you wait until today to begin playing your Christmas music or have you already been indulging?  Do you decorate for Christmas?  Inside?  Outside?  Both? 

We hope you'll join us when we kick-off our Romance Dish holiday season next Friday.  Don't forget to register to be eligible to win prizes!  

**Only entries received through this website (http://holiday-gala.com) will be considered eligible. Unfortunately, international entries cannot be accepted; United States shipping address is required for entry. 

  

22 comments:

  1. I did a little shopping yesterday, but I'm not venturing out today. A few of the radio stations already started playing Christmas music earlier in the month.

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    1. I haven't heard any Christmas tunes on the radio yet but they've switched the music at work to all Christmas.

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  2. Only an emergency could persuade me to venture into town today. I'm doing most of my shopping this year online. Since I've been reading Christmas books since October, I feel as if I got an early start to the season this year, a feeling intensified by the Christmas lists the grands have been compiling since then.

    I've had small visitors for a week, and I have to do massive housecleaning before I decorate. But when the last two grands leave after lunch today, I plan to curl up with a cup of tea and my Kindle and read and rest. Next week, when I've recouped sufficient energy, I'll clean. The decorating will have to wait a week or so.

    I am looking forward to Romancing the Holidays. It sounds great!

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    1. I wish an emergency had kept me from venturing into town yesterday! I worked from 4:30am - 5pm. That's 12.5 hours on my feet with only two 30 minute breaks. Needless to say, I was in bed and asleep by 7pm last night!

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  3. Oh no, I am not a Black Friday person at all, I keep my sweet self at home where there are no crazy people but my own self.....LOL
    I don't decorate anymore but I have been watching Christmas movies on Hallmark already and I will be searching out my old favs starting today, I have already taken my Christmas cd's to work.
    Most of my shopping is already done, I buy for my granddaughter all year long and make her mother put it back and save it for Christmas, I can't get the clothes until now but I get all the other odds and ends. My son's is always game related so I wait for his and then my BF, that is all the shopping I do.

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    1. I wish my television provider carried the Hallmark channel. I love their Christmas movies!

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  4. I don't do the Black Friday shopping thing. I cannot help but feel there will be good sales later. Unfortunately, in this economy, the retailers are hurting and there will be good deals again.

    Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'm busy cleaning up after yesterday's feast, vacuuming crumbs and doing laundry. Hope to find time later today to dive into a book as I ignore all that needs to be done to get ready for Christmas! AAARRRGGGHHH!!

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    1. You're right, Connie. There will be good sales later.

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  5. I used to drag myself out of bed out o'dark thirty to do the Black Friday shopping but now that most of the deals are online, I've spent the last couple of years sitting at home on the computer! It's been grand! This event sounds fun! Count me in :)

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    1. We'll look forward to seeing you next Friday, Erin!

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  6. I've never been a shopper. I hate to shop regularly, much less in crowds. I work the service desk at a retail store (who shall remain nameless) and we got pounded yesterday and today. I opened yesterday and as soon as the doors opened, it looked like ants storming out of an anthill. People screaming and running with crazed looks in their eyes. I stood there in shock. Today I worked 11 to 6 and it was as bad, if not worse. I was even cussed at today. I love my job and am thankful for the 98% of people who make my job pleasant. The other 2%.... I just smile and go about my business. Kill them with kindness, right? LOL!

    I'm looking forward to the upcoming blogs. I think it's a wonderful thing y'all are doing with the two baskets of goodies for libraries or shelters.

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    1. I feel for you, Leah. Not having a service desk at our store, those of use on the registers in the departments become customer service. It makes for a "fun" Black Friday!

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  7. Sounds like fun. I have been unable to get to a computer for about 3 weeks. missed checking out my favorite blogs.
    We celebrated Thanksgiving today. I was in the NYC area with the Red Cross since Nov. 1 and just got home. We were a military family and discovered you celebrate when you can, not by the calendar. I am lucky, I had a house to come home to. So many in the wake of Sandy have no home or one with no power or heat. In spite of it all, most are working hard and keeping a positive attitude.
    I have a lot of catching up to do. We hope to decorate outside this year and put up a small tree.
    No Black Friday shopping for us. I have most of my shopping done. I'd listen to Christmas all season long, but my husband is already upset they started the day before Thanksgiving. I'll have to play it when he isn't around.

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    1. We've missed you! I had wondered if you were up there working with the Red Cross. Bless you for helping.

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  8. This sounds like fun. I am going to register but not sure how much time I will have to attend. I have a Turkey dinner to cook on Sat. and a lot of prep work and deserts to make on Friday, but will be there as much as possible.

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    1. Sounds like you have a busy few days on the schedule. Hope you'e able to find time to sneak over and play with us a bit on Friday!

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  9. I don't like to go out on Black Friday, but I did meet my cousin for coffee and couldn't believe the lack of shoppers and cars! Did everyone shop in the middle of the night, perhaps? I did do some online shopping while enjoying some coffee and my breakfast. :)

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  10. I'm not a shopper. I definitely avoid Black Friday, too many people, no places to park = stress.
    I decorate our tree around Dec 15th. We used to put up outside lights. Now we live in a condo so we don't decorate outside. I can only stand a few weeks of Christmas music. I play my favorites when I feel like it. I do not listen to it on the radio.
    I do like to watch some of my favorite holiday movies and TV specials.

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  11. PJ, thanks for the post! I'm really looking forward to joining you this Friday. :)

    As for your holiday question: I am definitely not a shopper, unless you count visiting a chocolate shop or bookstore. Chocolates and books are my two favorite types of gifts to give (and receive?). Everything else, I try to buy online to avoid the crowds.

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  12. I love shopping for Christmas presents but these days I tend to do most of it on-line. Actually, my idea of the perfect way to spend a pre-Christmas day is shopping, lunch and an afternoon movie. And I decorate a lot but mostly inside. Right now I'm covered in glitter from the garlands I hung in the hallway. :)

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  13. Looking forward to joining all you ladies at the Gala on the 30th!

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  14. Can't wait to kick off this day! I'll be having marzipan for brekkie to get me in the mood.

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