First up: the Sizzling Book Club Chat for Season for Surrender by Theresa Romain will be Tuesday 27 November at 9:00pm ET. Theresa will join us at 10pm for Q&A – so mark your calendars!
Need a Google button? Have a Google button:
But wait, there's more! Kensington is so excited that this book is the November book club selection, they've agreed to host a giveaway for y'all. I have five print copies from Kensington plus five digital copies to give away. Yay! The 50% rebate is still on at AllRomance through 15 November, too.
Standard disclaimers apply. This contest is open to anyone internationally. Must be over 18 and wearing a bustle. Void where prohibited. Slippery when wet. Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear. Close cover before striking. Beware the invisible dog.
Would you like to win a copy? Well, since Season for Surrender is all about a holiday house party – one that's two weeks long, holy smokes – let's talk holiday party! It's nearly time for all the end-of-year get togethers.
What's your best holiday party tip? What recipe do you always bring, if it's a potluck?
Share share – and I'll pick 10 winners at random. (Please let me know in your comment if you have a format preference.) Contest ends Friday, 16 November at 12:00 pm ET. I'll announce the winners Friday afternoon.
I hope you have a chance to read this book. I really enjoyed the holiday historical house party setting, and the heroine particularly, and I hope you can join us for the chat on the 27th!
desserts are important. chocolate mousse. tip – bring wine.
Holiday party tip: latkes blow fuses when simultaneously cooked on an electric stove and three electric griddles. Also, that many latkes makes the house smell like onion and oil for weeks.
Potluck dish. Hot pimms cup.
Prefer paper copy if chosen.
Huge batch of Chex mix… always welcome and never any left overs… Some wonderful receipes – – thanks for sharing.. I’d love to win a print copy…
I’m a pretty terrible cook so I always try to stick to simple thing like drinks or pastries for a bakery.
I just realized what I posted, what I meant to say was “I’m a pretty terrible cook so I always try to stick to simple things like drinks or pastries from a bakery.”
The only holiday tip I have is avoid holiday parties. My favorite times happen at my mother’s house when all of us are in our pajamas passing around a pan of homemade fudge in front of the fireplace. That’s right. We’re classy like that. 🙂 I would like print please.
My go to holiday potluck item is preztel candies. You take pretzels with a hershey’s kiss on top, warm them in the oven for 3 minutes and then smush a mint M&M on top and put them in the freezer to cool. Everyone loves them and I’m usually the only person who makes them!
I love holiday parties! In college, me and the roommates made sure there is a theme, so that you’re not having ‘just another Christmas party’. Let people know that they should dress up, for example in Christmas or Hanukkah themed sweaters or in cocktail attire. For food, I’d always ask the host what do they need me to bring because you don’t want to repeat and have too many of one item and none of another. I usually make special salads, either green salad (lettuce, tomato, some olives, oil and salt to your taste) or bean salad (easy to bring over) or an appetizer like potato skins / deviled eggs.
Thanks for having the giveaway, I’d also be happy with an e-pub version! I prefer paper copies usually but have not much space to stack them 🙂
I learned how to make candy a couple years ago and now it is my fav holiday treat to make! I make a bunch and mail them out to people for Christmas. Homemade caramels are rad!
Digital book for my kindle please.
My favorite thing to bring is always my Rum cake. I make them for parties and during the holidays and people seem to devour it all. I love bringing bake goods
Gin and Tonic for extra Christmas Spirit!
Digital book for Kindle please.
I make pistachio and cranberry biscotti and give them as gifts. Almost everyone enjoys them—in fact, one year I made them for someone I worked with and the next year his family was all over him for them as soon as he walked in the door!
But if I’m going to a potluck, I’ll bring vegetarian chili or a lemon kale salad or a chicken cream cheese pasta casserole. Yum!
Usually we celebrate December 31st, Chanukkah too, but not as festive as New Years Eve. I help my mom out with all sorts of food then my sister and my brother-in-law come over and we eat, talk, hang out and open gifts 😀
No preference towards the format. I did try to win this on goodreads site, but no luck.
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Holiday parties – if I need to bring an appetizer – I always bring a platter of shrimp.
Get a gorgeous glass platter
crush ice
arrange shrimp (from local fish store)
slice lemon
small bowl of cocktail sauce
and voila
So easy, peasy and it looks great!
ps. I’m hoping Santa will bring me a Kindle or ipad for x-mas so I need a PAPER copy, please.
I usually make Mac and Cheese, a crowd pleaser but usually will also bring dip and chips. If this is a long time deal, baked cinimon-rasin bread.
My holiday tip: make the latkes at someone else’s house! Then you don’t have to spend hours cleaning up the tiny droplets of oil that get all over the kitchen and the house doesn’t end up smelling like fried things for the rest of the month (surprisingly, it gets old really fast). For Thanksgiving, I like to make a cabernet cranberry sauce – it is like a grownup version of regular ole cranberry sauce (google for the recipe).
My husband usually makes stuffed mushrooms.
I’m the dessert queen, and for large groups I usually do cookies: Chocolate brownie with toffee & white chocolate chips cookies the nut-sensitive, and for non-allergic people, I do peanut butter cookies with a Reese cup in the middle. Gangbusters, I tell you.
I usually bring Spicy Ginger Crinkles aka Molassas Cookies or Gingersnaps but they are soft. Most of my family lives in a different state so we travel to them. Therefore, whatever I bring must be able to be in a car for 4-8 hours.
If I were to win, I’d prefer paper.
Also, do you have any idea why I can’t log into Disqus on my ipad? I enter my id & password and it prompts me for a email address.
I usually make Potato & Chicken Croquettes; same old potato croquette recipe but u add boiled stripped chicken seasoned with black papper, onions, scallion, pepper & salt to the mixture. It taste awesome & its the first thing to finish at the party. 🙂
I’m the only person in my family who can successfully make a dessert, so usually my speacility cheesecake; pumpkin or banana with chocolate chip muffins for breakfast and mental torture, and some kind of apple crumble or coffee cake to go with the coffee; usually this one I make without any processed sugars using stevia, raw sugar, and substituting mass with unsweetened organic apple butter or mashed bananas. Lots of work but so good!
Just realized I didn’t specify my preference…sorry. I’ll prefer E-book plz 🙂
I usually make Potato & Chicken Croquettes; same old potato croquette recipe but u add boiled stripped chicken seasoned with black papper, onions, scallion, pepper & salt to the mixture. It taste awesome & its the first thing to finish at the party. 🙂
My holiday tip is to shop early and wrap early. I usually take a Texas sheet cake to pot-lucks. Merry
My best holiday tip is to attend the parties, not to throw them. For the potluck, you can’t go wrong with a good wine.
I would prefer an e-book, but will gladly accept a paper book. Thanks!
My best tip is to hire help if at all possible. My entertaining is usually focused on my kids and their friends or else a couple entire families at a time. If we’re having more than 6 people, I ask around my babysitting network to see who might be able to assist with keeping empty glasses cleared or the snack heating going. This helps me enjoy my own party just a bit and, when it’s all over, not have to face the evening with a sinking heart due to the mess. I can usually find two or three takers for the job and it’s worth every penny. (If my number comes up, I’d like a paper copy if at all possible – thanks for much!)
My family is Polish, so pierogis and sauerkraut are mainstays at our holiday meals. A tip for surviving the holidays with my family: don’t mention any of the family drama and focus on the food (and there’s always plenty of it to keep everyone occupied with eating instead of flinging accusations).
P.S. I prefer print copies 🙂
For a savory item, I like to bring potstickers (Chinese pan-fried dumplings a.k.a. Japanese gyoza). However, I usually prefer to bring a dessert. Cookies, brownies, cake, etc.—you name it, I’ll bake it.
I’m open to either book format. Thanks for the giveaway!
My best tip is to stay calm. I used to let myself get really stressed out but I have learned to breath and enjoy the holiday. For the pot luck, I bring whatever the hostess indicates she needs. I wouldn’t want to bring something that wouldn’t fit the rest of the meal.
My tip for the holidays is to create a really good plan, but never try to do more than a maximum of three things on it per day (and some days, less). As for potlucks, I like to bring the veggie tray.
If I’m selected, I’ll take whatever format is available – paper or ebook. Thanks!
Well, one year I made the mistake of making Julia Child’s recipe for cream of mushroom soup. It was glorious—creamy, mushroomy, delicious. Now everyone insists I make it each year. Its a TRADITION. I’ve tried to substitute shrimp cocktail but no luck. Everyone whines. Be careful what you fix that everyone raves over or you’ll be making it each year, and again, and again…..
We always have sweet potato casserole with pecan topping, NO marshmallows. It is heavenly and so bad for you it can only be eaten once a year. 😉 My sister also makes a wonderful bourbon pumpkin pie from an historical recipe (although I think the original recipe called for brandy). It is an awesome pie.
If I happen to win, I am fine with either paper or kindle format.
I don’t cook I buy! But if you buy pastries, put them in a decorative box w/ tissue paper and no one is the wiser 🙂
Thanks for the giveaway! This book is on the top of my want list!
Tip: enjoy being with family and friends. Play some old-fashioned games like Charades, Bridge, Canasta or Euchre. No TV!!! It is the number one killer of parties.
Usually, I bring my Chipped Beef Cheeseball to parties because everyone likes it.
If I were to win, paperback would be my first choice.
My best tip is to snack a little at home if possible. I don’t always follow this rule myself but when I do feel so much better. It helps keep the mindless, calorie-laden snacking to a minimum as well as the stalking of party apps because I’m so hungry.
I like to bring something roasted. Brussel Sprouts, potatoes, etc. not particularly finger friendly but easy to make.
My best tip: make lists, because if you don’t, you will forget someone or something in the madness and it’ll be Christmas Eve and you’ll be rushing around like a headless chicken.
For potlucks I’m nearly always on dessert, and nearly always take ambrosia, which is awesome for being easy (whipped cream! yoghurt! berries! choc chips! Mix em up in a bowl, you’re done!) and everyone likes it.
My best party tip: plan like crazy & then sit back & enjoy.
A fruit platter is always welcome.
I’d love a print copy thank you.
I bring my homemade cheesecakes the family loves them!
Ooh, please enter me in this giveaway! My favorite holiday-party recipe is Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s (vegan! but delicious!) gingerbread cookie recipe (substituting maple syrup for molasses). I’m not a good cook, but I’ve made these cookies lots of times and they’ve always tasted delicious. (And I’m not even vegan! But this recipe is THE BEST.)
Well, in my part of the world we just finished celebrating a major holiday, and I took fireworks along. Everybody contributes, actually. That way, there’s something for everyone – sparklers and smaller stuff for kids, “bombs” and large rockets for adults. It makes for an extremely noisy and very colourful evening 🙂
On an unrelated note, I was wondering – is it possible to participate in the book club chat through an iPad or mobile phone? Essentially, on any device that can be used on the go?
Best holiday tp?
Throw a canned item or unwrappe new toy or unused coats in your car so you casn donate at one of on the barrels set up all over town while you’re already doing your errands so no extra trips. Also shop online or use the ship to store feature that Walmart.com has to save time. Paper please. Also keep a gift closet year around for the unexpected people who give you a gift.
taco dip