Kersten Hamilton Author Blog Post and Giveaway!

My best Christmas memory from when I was a child happened when I was six years old. My family was homeless and someone was letting us stay in their basement. The family we were staying with had a huge Christmas tree, with piles of presents under it, decorated with candy canes and ornaments—we could see the tree, but none of the presents were for us. My baby brother got in trouble for sneaking in and eating a candy cane off of the tree. We were thankful for the basement—it was December in Alaska, after all. But it was hard. We barely had money for food and necessities, and no money for presents or candy.

The day before Christmas, my mother took us all with her to the laundromat to do our laundry. The last load was drying when I walked down the rows of machines—and saw a fresh, new $50 bill on the floor. It hadn’t been there two minutes before. There were only three other people in the laundromat. No one had come in or gone out. I am sure now that one of those three dropped that bill for me to find, probably the scary–looking man who growled “If you found it, it’s yours, isn’t it” and frightened me so much I ran back to my mother.

Whoever dropped that money didn’t just change our Christmas—they changed me. When I had children of my own, we made it a tradition to look around to find someone who needs a blessing at Christmas time. One year it might be the child of someone in prison who can’t give them a present, the next neighbor kids whose parents are out of work. There are only two rules—buy the best gift you can afford—one you would be proud to give to the person you love the most—and it must always be a secret where it came from.

I’d like to ask your readers to join in the fun. Change Christmas for someone this year. Keep it secret. Pass it on.

Thank you for letting me tell people about this on your blog today, Melissa!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Such a beautiful story! Oh I so agree with you Kersten. Plus there are so many ways to give at anytime of the year. Even if it is just a smile to brighten someone's day. Oh and I think Kersten is about to brighten someone's holiday! Because...

Giveaway!

Kersten is giving away a HB copy of In the Forests of the Night! Oh and guess what??? It's INTERNATIONAL! I bet that made a few of you smile today. ;) Just fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Easy!

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?

Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.

My review of In the Forests of the Night

Don't forget too, that Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1) is still only $2.69 at Amazon for Kindle, $2.99 at B&N, iBooks and Kobo.