I watched The Proposal this past weekend (really cute movie) and the heroine mentioned reading Wuthering Heights every Christmas. Do you read one special book every holiday? Are you looking forward to receiving a gift of books this year, or do you expect to be too busy to read (gasp!) this season? What books are you giving?

I tell family and friends never to buy me books — a gift card is fine, but I buy far too many of my own for anyone to know what I’ve read or haven’t, so books as gifts never work for me, but I do enjoy giving them. I try to make notes through the year of books I think family members will find interesting or fun, though sometimes I don’t wait. When my MIL visited this past September, I bought her the first four Karen Marie Moning Fever books because I was too anxious for her to read them to wait for Christmas. As for books we read every year, I don’t really have any particular book I return to over and over again. Last year, my husband had their Uncle’s enthusiastic reading, which he enjoyed, too. It’s nice for kids to have books as well as TV shows for their annual traditions, I think, even though I love many of the TV specials we grew up with.

I will be reading a lot through the month, working through my Kindle TBR and enjoying curling up in the evenings with some good reading. I am reading Charlaine Harris’s Grave Secret at the moment (not very Christmassy, I know, but it’s a good book), and have a list of romances (including some Blazes, of course) that I am looking forward to, as well. Are you reading any holiday-oriented romances you would recommend?

So what books are you reading, or do you want to curl up on a holiday evening and read this month? Share your current reading and I’ll pick two winners to receive a signed copy of my previous Christmas Blaze, Talking in Your Sleep, along with a tin of hot chocolate and a pretty mug. If you have this book already, just let me know if you would like it signed for someone else, and maybe it can be one of your gift items this season. Merry, Merry, and best wishes for a happy and peaceful month, whichever holiday you celebrate.

Sam

Do you dress up for Halloween? :-[ Its a fun day and I enjoy seeing all the little kids dressed up in their favorite superhero, Transformer and princess costumes as they parade around the neighborhood. The little ones take it all so seriously and they look at you as if they aren't sure you are going to give them that candy you have in the bowl.

We live in what I call Beavercleaverville. It's a small village type neighborhood tucked into a sprawling metropolis. Many of the neighbors do elaborate decorations and have very cool haunted houses. I'm lucky if I remember to put the fall wreath on the door, and to tell my husband to buy candy. But I enjoy the festivities just the same. This year Halloween falls on a Saturday so there's a pretty good chance we'll be invited to more than one party.

And that's my problem. I'm not big on dressing up in costumes. I like them, but only when other people wear them. I've been this way since I was a little kid. I never wanted those store bought costumes my kids adored. Put a rain hat, rain coat and galoshes on me and call me the Morton Salt Girl and I was a happy kid. (That was a rainy Halloween, and man did I rake in the candy. My dad took me around with his umbrella, but we only saw one other kid doing the same.) The crazy thing is, I don't know why I'm that way. I love the way costumes look, and the idea of masking one's identity. But I don't like wearing them. If I do anything it's something like a sweatshirt with a giant P and I blacken my eye so that I'm a black-eyed pea. Or a t-shirt with a small box of cereal velcroed to it and a knife stuck in the box, so that I'm a cereal-killer. And one of my favorites, a witch's hat and black clothes.

My friend Shannon was gnome last year. It was hilarious. My friend Deb was Elvis down to the wig, jumpsuit, white shoes and dark glasses. She also did the coolest Medussa costume ever. I wore black.

So I'm curious about several things. Do you like to wear costumes? What are some of your favorites now, and from when you were a kid? Do your kids like dressing up? (My oldest is into it, but it depends on the situation when it comes to my youngest.) What do you think will be some of the popular costumes this year? What will you be wearing?

And I'd like to know your thoughts about my new cover. Consider it my treat, no tricks, for you! I LOVE IT! TAKE ME IF YOU DARE is a Feb. 2010 release. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Take Me If You Dare Cover