Hey friend!

There’s something about Christmas traditions that make everything special.

For us, the day after Thanksgiving is always the day to get our Christmas tree. If the hubby is off work, that's when we go! 

This year it was -44 degrees Fahrenheit (yes, you read that right). But tradition is tradition, and the kids batted their eyes at Daddy until he caved. Luckily, we had a vehicle in the garage overnight, so we were able to get it running. Then we bundled up like marshmallows and headed out on our adventure.

Now, if you’ve ever dealt with that kind of cold, you know everything becomes as brittle as fine china. At those temps, the needles on the tree will shatter if you so much as breathe on them wrong. Let’s just say getting the tree through the front door was a delicate operation—and I may still be sweeping up needles off the floor after New Years!

But you know what? The special family memories make it all worth it. That’s the thing about traditions—they’re not about convenience; they’re about creating memories that last.

Do you have any Christmas tree traditions? Maybe you chop one down too, or perhaps you pull out the same artificial tree each year, adding a new ornament for every season of life. I’d love to hear about it—hit reply and share your story!

P.S. If your Christmas tree tradition involves avoiding frostbite, I’d say you’re on the smarter side of things! 😉

Exciting news! Cash is officially off to the editor for a final polish. While that’s happening, I’m diving headfirst into my next projects.

Up next in the Cross Creek Ranch series is Joy—a heartfelt Christmas romance set to release in late 2025. I’m so excited to bring you Joy’s story! But before that, I have a little surprise…

I’m working on a short, sweet novella for one of our favorite Cross Family Saga side characters: Clay. His story takes place in the year 1900, during the same timeframe as Redeeming the Shackled, but at a neighboring homestead.

I’m absolutely loving being back in this era, giving Clay and Miren the story they truly deserve. I can’t wait to share it with you—stay tuned!

*DON'T FORGET TO PREORDER YOUR COPY OF CASH! This book was a blast to write, and I can guarantee it will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This month on Zoom, we had a great time chatting with Emily Conrad about the Redemption Ridge series and her writing journey. She's such a sweet person and a great author!

We're taking a little break over the holidays, no new book to read this month. The next book we'll read will be We Redeemed the Rain by Ashley Dill. 

I'm really excited about that one! We'll meet up for that book discussion the first week of February.

In the meantime, enjoy your Christmas season and don't forget to focus on the real reason we celebrate this time of year.