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.
I – Icy
C – Christmas
K – Kisses
E – Enliven
N – Nippy
S – Santas
Up next this afternoon – Cheryl Pierson!
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.
Clearly
All
Romantic
Officers
Love
Singing
Ooo – I like it. And I must say that as a romantic officer, I adore singing. 🙂
S-Snowy
C-Christmases
R-Relate
O-Often
O-Overlooked
G-Gentle
E-Events
Nice!
Devlish
Ink
Cheers
Kind
Eloquent
Nervous
Son
Ooo – Devilish ink – I sense a suspenseful tale. 🙂
Delicious
Incredible
Chuckles
Kind of
Enjoy Nine
Sectors
Delicious chuckles are always the best. 🙂
C-Christmas
A-Always
R-Raises
O-Our
L-Loving
S-Spirits
Well done!
Christmas
Angels
Reiging
Over
Lowly
Stable
What a lovely picture of the nativity!
Christmas
Angels
Reindeer
Ornaments
Lonely
Snow
Very Christmassy. 🙂
What you might tell your hubby…….
D – December
I – Is
C – Christmas
K – Kisses
E – Every
N – Night,
S – Sweetheart! 😉
Excellent! So romantic. 🙂
S – Sweet
C – Christmas
R – Romance
O – Offers
O – Optimistic
G – Girls
E – Everything
Ooo – I like it. Go, optimistic girls!
C – Candy
A – And
R – Ribbons
O – On
L – Little
S – Stockings
You definitely have a knack for this, Pickle. Another excellent one!
C-Clearly
o-original
w-women
b-buy
o-ornaments
y-you
s-see
Nice! May we all be original women this year. 🙂
C – Cater
O – Our
W – Wishes
B – By
O – Offering
Y – Yuletide
S – Sweets
Thanks for the fun game! I love doing acrostics! 😀
You are GREAT at these. Nice work!
S-Sentimental
C-Christmas
R- routines
O-often
O-originate
G-grateful
E-emotions
Nicely done!
ICY
I-icicles
Christ
Yultide
Thanks, Patty.
C – Christ Child
A – angels
R – ribbon candy
O – ornaments
L – love
S – stable
Lol. I’m sorry. I didn’t do it right!
It still counts, Liz. 🙂
I can’t do this! The book sounds great, though!!
Thanks for the encouraging words, Trudy. 🙂
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
The “What If” game definitely sparks the imagination. I love that you are you boys (men) still play it. 🙂
Come
Over
With
Bells on
On
Your
Sled (snowmobile)
I could hear Dolly Parton singing “I’ll be there with bells on” 🙂
Nice one!
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?
It is such a fun movie, especially from the writer’s perspective. 🙂
Come
and
rejoice
loud
singers
All those years in choir has this resonating with me, Joye. 🙂
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.
It looks weird now that I have submitted it. Sorry
I can still read them, Kerah. Love Old Opa George’s Etude. 🙂
Cantankerous
orphans
wrestle
burdens
of
yesteryear.
Gotta watch out for those cantankerous orphans. 🙂
C Christmas
O Ornaments
W Wisemen
B Baby
O Oranges
Y. Yummy
S. Savior
Thanks, Linda.
C-Christmas
A-Awesome
R-Rejoicing
O-Others
L-Love
S-Singing
Nice, Ginny!
Cowboys
On
Wild
Broncos
Overjoy
Young
Spectators
Excellent rodeo visual, Elizabeth!
Despite
Iciness,
Children
Keep
Erecting
New
Snowmen
Another great one!
Sleds
Crazily
Racing
Outside
Offer
Great
Enjoyment
You and pickle need to have an acrostic battle. You both are killing it!
Christmas
Always
Requires
Ornaments
Like
Snowflakes
Nice!
Christmastime
Always
Remembering
Our
Loved
Sentiments
Very sweet, Alicia!
Karen, what a great premise! And I have never heard of that movie, so of course…yep, here I go to find it! LOL Hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!
I bet you’ll enjoy it, Cheryl. 🙂
C- Christmas
A- Angels
R- Ring
O- Out
L- Loving
S- Songs
Nice one, Connie!
C- Christmas
O- Only
W- Wonders
B- Brings
O- Others
Y- Yuletide
S- Satisfaction
D- Dancing
I- In
C- Circles
K- Keeps
E- Entertaining
N- Nicholas
S- Santa
S- Santa
C- Claus’s
R- Reindeer
O- Object
O- Over
G- Giant
E- Elves
C – check
O – out
W – why
B – boys
O – overlook
Y – young
S – Santas
Kind of corney, but it works!?
I love corny, Judy!
Delicately
Icing
Cookies
Knowing
Exactly
Nothings
Sweeter
Colleen – You’re making me hungry. 🙂
Scrooge
Sassy
Comical
Reindeer
Offers
Oppulent
Gift
Envelope
Ooo – So intriguing!
Christmas
Owls
Watch
By
Our
Yards
Silently
Decorations
Icing
Cookies
Keeping
Everyone
Nicely
Satisfied
Yum!
Cooking
Aromas
Reviving
Old
Lifetime
Smiles
Securing
Christmas
Remnants
Over
Outdoor
Gift
Envelopes
Caroling
Outside
Winter
Ball
Overlooking
Yonder
Skies
Cards
Owed
With
Bad
Old
Yellow Stick pen
or
Can’t
Argue
‘Round
Old
Legion
Soldiers
I can’t keep up with all of you, but that’s fabulous!!! Be sure that I’m reading and enjoying them all, even if I don’t respond to each one individually. 🙂
Decorate Inn Children Knowing Enough Nice Santa
Santa Christmas Reindeer Over Our Garage Elves
Children Around Rudolph Outside Lights Santa
Cooking On Wagon Beans Open Year Saddle
Dashing
Irish
Cowboy
Kissing
Each
Nose
Sweetly
I’m not good at this game?
I loved your acrostic, Tammy. You’re plenty good at this!
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
Cowgirls
Often
Wear
Boots
Only
Youth
Size
Country
Animals
Roam
Over
Land and
Sand
Ceaselessly
Animated
Reindeer
Overwhelm
Laughing
Students
What a fun scene you’ve conjured, Karen!
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.
Nicely done, Dora!
Scrooge:
Scary
Carriage
Ran
Over
On
Georgette’s
Earring
Dickens:
Decide
If
Christmas
Kisses
End
Nice
Stories
Carols:
Christmas
Angels
Are
On
Last
Scene
Cowboys:
Christmas
On
Wednesday
Brings
Only
Youths
Smiles
Some
Christmases
Require
Opening
Others’
Gifts
Enthusiastically
Singing
Christmas
Remains
Our
Only
Grand
Excitement
Christmas
Advent
Rediscovers
Our
Loving
Savior
Ooo – I like this one, Paula!
Dickens
Illustrates
Christmas
Kindness
Entering
Nasty
Scrooge
Very thematic, Debbie!
Scrooge
Carelessly
Runs
Over
Old
Geriatric
Elves
LOL – This one tickled my funny bone, Sreesor!
CAROLS:
Christmas
Angels
Rejoice
Of
Loving
Savior
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.
Excellent job capturing the theme, Lila!
Spirited
Christmas
Reindeer
Oscillated
Over
Gigantic
Evergreens
Christians
Are
Rejoicing
Over
Lovely
Singing
Children
On
Winter
Break
Often
Yell
SNOW!
One of the smoothest sentences, Rhoda!
Cowboys
Only
Wish for
Bovines to
Operate
Yuletide
Sleighs
Love the western slant, Debbie!
Capturing
All
Rushers
Outlaws
Longriders
Snoozers
Sometimes
Crazy
Rhymes
Outweigh
Outside
Games
Excellently
?
Sometimes
Crazy
Rhymes
Outweigh
Outside
Games
Excellently
?
Dickens:
Don’t
Imply
Christian
Kiss
Experiences
Need-not
Sizzle
Ha! I love it, Megan. Hooray for sizzling Christian kisses! 🙂
C-Christmas
A-Always
R-Rejoice
O-Our
L-Lovely
S-Savior
C-Christmas
O-Ornaments
W-Wreaths
B-Bows
O-Offspring/Oranges
Y-Yuletide
“Cowboys
Are
Really
Odd,”
Laura
Said.
Ha! Thanks for the giggle!
Christmas
Offers
Whimsical
Buys
On
Year-end
Sales
S – Santa’s
C – Coming
R – Reindeer’s
O – Over
O – Our
G – Gables
E – Evergreens
Merry Christmas to all & especially you, Fillies!!!
C – Carols
O – Ornaments
W – Wreaths
B- Bows
O – Or
Y – Yuletides
S – Santa
Divinely
Inspired,
Charles
Knew
Ebenezer
Needed
Salvation
Lovely, Kathleen!
Chords
Awakening,
Refreshing
Our
Living
Souls
Scrimping,
Cold-hearted,
Relying
Only
On
Greed—
Ebenezer
Comfortable
Only
While
Being
On
Your
Stallion
Christmas
Owls
Wear
Bows
Of
Yellow
Snow
🙂
Christmas
Occurrs
While
Brilliant
Observer
Yells
Sharply
Delightful
Infant
Child
Kisses
Enchanting
Nativity
Scene
Christmas
Angels
Ring
Out
Lovely
Songs
Secretly
Craving
Really
Outstanding
Original
Goodies
Early
Christmas
Awakens,
Rekindles
Old
Loves
Serendipitously
Christmas
Ornaments
Wrapped
Books
Only
You
Shine
Singing
Carols
’round
Our
Old
Gated
Entrance
Chicken and Rice Of Leftover Snack
Saving
Christmas
Reindeer
Out
Of
Gallivanting
Energy
Probably too late for the contest, but had to give it a try!
Connie
Always
Reads,
Often
Loses
Sleep