Cowboys & Mistletoe – Day 4 – Karen Witemeyer

 

The two most powerful words in a writer’s vocabulary are: What if? When it came time for me to brainstorm a new Christmas novella idea, my mind turned to the classics and those powerful two words – what if . . .

What if . . . the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol took place in 1890’s Texas instead of early 1800’s London?

What if . . . Scrooge’s transformation story was a romance?

What if . . . there was a London, TX? Oh, wait. There is!

What happened next was a whirlwind of fun that is now available as A Texas Christmas Carol.

I had so much fun with giving names to all my characters, paying homage to the classic tale. Evan Beazer is our hero, playing opposite the joyfully optimistic Felicity Wiggins (named in honor of the cheerful Fezziwig). There’s even a dog named Humbug!

This story was previously released in the novella collection Under the Texas Mistletoe but is now available as an e-single with a fun new cover that pays homage to books from the Dickens era.

This story was so much fun to write, and it seems to really resonate with readers. It won both the ACFW Carol Award and the prestigious Christy Award!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook

**** Game Time ****

Since my story blends cowboys and carols, I thought it would be fun for my ornament prize to mimic that same theme. A rustic, wooden ornament with a Victorian Christmas carol message. And I couldn’t resist throwing in one of my favorite Christmas movies as well – the story of how Dickens wrote one of the greatest Christmas classics of all time.

One winner will receive both the ornament and the movie pictured above.
To enter, play the acrostic game below and place your entry in the comments.

Pick one of the words highlighted in the graphic above and create a complete sentence where each word in the sentence starts with the letters in the chosen word.
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Here’s an example I whipped up for the word Dickens:
D – Delightfully
I – Icy
C – Christmas
K – Kisses
E – Enliven
N – Nippy
S – Santas
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If you wish to enter more than once, leave a separate comment with acrostics formed from each different word. A maximum of four entries can be made, since there are four source words. My favorite acrostic will win!
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Up next this afternoon – Cheryl Pierson!

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For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

142 thoughts on “Cowboys & Mistletoe – Day 4 – Karen Witemeyer”

  1. What you might tell your hubby…….

    D – December
    I – Is
    C – Christmas
    K – Kisses
    E – Every
    N – Night,
    S – Sweetheart! 😉

  2. C – Cater
    O – Our
    W – Wishes
    B – By
    O – Offering
    Y – Yuletide
    S – Sweets

    Thanks for the fun game! I love doing acrostics! 😀

  3. SCROOGE
    Some
    Christmas
    Rings
    Open
    Our
    Generous
    Emotions

    thanks for sharing about your “what if” and where it lead. since our oldest son became 2, we have played the “what if” game. and now at ages 36 and 39 they still play it
    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

  4. Come
    Over
    With
    Bells on
    On
    Your
    Sled (snowmobile)

    I could hear Dolly Parton singing “I’ll be there with bells on” 🙂

  5. Karen, I love the idea of “What if” and its companion phrase, “Why not?”
    My husband and I just discovered “The Man who Invented Christmas” and added it to our holiday lineup. Who knew Dickens was his own backstory?

  6. D-Dog S-Singing C-Children C-Carol of the bells
    I-In C-Carolers O-Oust A-Angels we have heard on high
    C-Coats R-Remember W-White R-Rudolph
    K-Keep O-Old B-Bows O- O Come, o come Emmanuel
    E-Eating O-Opa O-Off L- Let it Snow
    N-New G-George’s Y-Yellow S- Silent Night
    S-Snacks E-Etude S-Skis

    I did all of them from fun.

  7. C – check
    O – out
    W – why
    B – boys
    O – overlook
    Y – young
    S – Santas

    Kind of corney, but it works!?

  8. S Scrooge’s
    C Christmas
    R Reindeer
    O Ornament (smelled like)
    O Oranges, (was a)
    G Gift (hanging on the)
    E Evergreen

    I took liberties, because I didn’t follow the rules and then had to make it work.

    denise

  9. I tried to get a sentence for each one. I am not sure how grammatically correct or realistic they are, but here goes.

    Dickens
    Invented the
    Carol
    Knowing
    Everyone
    Needs a
    Savior.

    Scrooge’s
    Christmas
    Rituals
    Obviously
    Opens
    Gifts
    Early.

    Caroling
    Angels
    Roamed
    Openly
    Lauding the
    SAVIOR.

    Capturing
    Other
    Wise
    Buyers
    Opens the
    Yuletide
    Smiles.

  10. I still haven’t seen this movie, but my BFF insists I need to. Thanks so much for the giveaway! Here’s my acrostic for SCROOGE:
    Single
    Christmas
    Recluse
    Overjoyed
    Only to
    Gain
    Empathy.

  11. S – Santa’s
    C – Coming
    R – Reindeer’s
    O – Over
    O – Our
    G – Gables
    E – Evergreens

    Merry Christmas to all & especially you, Fillies!!!

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