Cowboys & Mistletoe (Week 2) – Karen Witemeyer

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What a fun couple of weeks we are having here at Petticoats & Pistols. Nothing like whipping up a little Christmas story to get in the festive mood! And speaking of Christmas stories, I have a new novella collection out this year that takes inspiration from elements of the nativity while giving them a western flair. I’ve teamed up with the fabulous Tracie Peterson and Misty Beller for this collection. Tracie’s story draws inspirations from the shepherds and an angelic visitor, Misty’s tale borrows the “no room at the inn” motif, and I have fun bringing three wise men from the east who happen to be Harvard professors coming to Baylor University in Texas so one of them can discover if the “star” he’s been following through letters might bring light to his life in person.

A Star in the West from On a Midnight Clear by Karen Witemeyer

A Star in the West 
Friendly correspondence with Stella Barrington evolves into something more when Harvard mathematics professor Frank Stentz arrives in Waco, Texas. As the two experiment with extending their relationship beyond letters, an impossible dilemma arises between love and logic. Will her wise man be able to calculate a way for them to be together?

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The Great Western Christmas Celebration

It’s time to discuss how our town celebrates as a community.

Is there a parade? A fireworks display? A church cantata? Santa in the Square? We can get as inventive as you like or stick with something heartwarming and traditional. And of course, our only restriction is that we keep it era appropriate so we don’t have an electric lights show in a frontier era town or carriage races during the Y2K period.

Everyone who leaves a response by Saturday 12/13 will get their name entered in the random drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.

Every entry will also be eligible for our oh-so-beautiful Grand Prize – a gorgeous quilt hand made by our very own Jo-Ann Roberts

 

NOTE: ALL winners will be announced on Sunday 12/14.

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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.

50 thoughts on “Cowboys & Mistletoe (Week 2) – Karen Witemeyer”

  2. Yes there is a parade with floats and the local marching band – Santa has a “she shed” type heated building along with helper elves and gives out candy canes to all the children

  5. Christmas tree decorate with homemade decorations that have been crocheted or carved. A Christmas gift giving in the park or maybe a town Christmas dinner.

  6. There’s definitely a Christmas Cantata, and a parade!! No fireworks, as that might scare all of the horses. And, of course, the church ladies will do a cookie exchange, too.

  12. After the church performances there is a “sleigh parade” with decorated sleighs and horses and they all head for the barn dance and hot chocolate!

  14. I think there’s a large holly bush/tree in the middle of town that the community brings a homemade ornament to decorate it every year. Maybe they make a sort of festival out of it with a potluck lunch (and lots of delicious desserts!)

  15. Merry Christmas
    Our town has the tree lighting in the park and lighted tractor parade through town.

  16. I think a good church Christmas pageant with music and kids doing a Nativity reenactment would be just the thing our town needs.

  18. In our Western town in 1855, most of the Christmas celebrating is centered around church, with services, carol singing, and prayers. There might even be a big community meal planned. All the stores sport special holiday window displays, and most of the doors boast wreaths. Despite the isolation, it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

  19. There’s a Cheistmas parade with floats, and there’s hot chocolate stands, cookie decorating contests, and Santa visits.

  21. I picture a themed potluck dinner then some local musicians adding background for caroling or a little dance.

  22. Carolers are singing Christmas carols. Hot apple cider and hot cocoa are available at the mercantile in the center of town. It is festive! The manger scene unfolds with baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, and cattle are lowing in the distance. It is a night of miracles! Jesus has been born and is lying in a manger.

  23. Santa arriving at some the libraries here at different times either in a fire truck or a snow plow depending on the weather.

  24. A Christmas parade featuring Santa Claus that gives out candy, groups of carolers singing through the town, a special Christmas Eve church prayer service.

  25. There is a festive Christmas parade followed by caroling. Then there is the Christmas church service with the children performing the story of Jesus with the nativity pageant followed by a huge dinner provided by the ladies of the community.

  26. The school children put on a play of the nativity for the whole town and then afterwards there’s a Christmas dance!

  30. In my reading of historical fiction romances, box suppers as fund raisers were usually held when it was warm enough to eat them outdoors as picnic meals. How about holding one to raise money for a town project (Is the school complete? Does the church need an organ?) but have the suppers consumed in the town’s largest indoor space (Court House, church, school…). The Christmas part will be the contents of the suppers, peoples’ clothing, how the space is decorated, and there could be other activities like carol singing, a dance or other seasonal pastimes as part of it.

  32. A big Christmas party is held for all the town to attend in a large empty store no one is using at the time. Drinks consisting of punch, apple cider, and lemonade, not counting what some men might have in their back pocket. There are many sweets, cookies, cakes, and pies plus lots of food, fried chicken, ham, potatoes, corn, green beans, squash, black-eyed peas, corn bread, and biscuits that everyone has contributed. Music is provided by the local talent, fiddle, guitar, banjo, and piano players make lively music for everyone to dance a jig to. Bags with oranges, apples, nuts, and candy are handed out to all that attend as a present from the town.
    On Christmas Eve a candle light service is held in the church with a Christmas play provided by the children and everyone singing Christmas carols together.

  34. A town Christmas fair would be fun. It would have Santa for the children. At the end of the night, the town would gather for a celebration of song and performances by the children. Thank you so much for the opportunity. God bless you.

  35. We have lots of celebrations. My favorite is ICE where a story is brought to life using ice sculptures . This year is Rudolph

  36. We have lots of celebrations. My favorite is ICE where a story is brought to life using ice sculptures . This year is Rudolph. So much fun

  37. A church service with each of the younger children saying a short piece and the older children performing the Christmas story, followed by a potluck dinner. A couple of days before many church members strolled the streets as a group caroling.

  39. I think I would make a full day of it starting with Brunch in the morning at the hotel restaurant, followed by a Ladies High Christmas Tea in the afternoon at the local tea house, then a Christmas parade led by Santa & ending with a live nativity at the church.

  41. The celebration to kick off the Christmas season is the parade through downtown. Those not in the parade cheer their friends and neighbors on as an assortment of horses, carriages, wagons, sleighs, the school band, marching slightly out of step but putting their all into the Carols they play, the church choir singing as they are carried down the street in the Blacksmiths wagon and kids with their favorite pets dressed in Christmas finery give a warm wintry feeling to all. After the parade everyone gathers to watch the annual snowball fight, drink cocoa and cider and munch on seasonal treats. Christmas Eve the church is the center for activities from a huge dinner, Caroling, games, the Christmas play and finally Christmas Eve services. Christmas Day is for families and a time to reminisce of Christmases past.

  43. A play of the Christmas story with the children as the characters. Always love these and you never know what to expect. Cant wait to read this collection. Thank you all.

  44. The children with the help of the school teacher would perform a Christmas pageant. Each family would bring cookies and desserts to share after the pageant. Someone in the town would dress up like Santa and pass out gifts to the students. This would be a time for the community to come together to show support for each other and build strong bonds.

  47. For a parade, they could do what our historic town did one year. The “floats” were stationary. They had a theme and each float along Main Street was an appropriate scene or a musical group – a community band to start, the saloon could roll out their piano out front (playing Christmas songs, please), and the church choir could be at the end of the parade.. We of course used electric lights for them, but they could use lanterns and luminaries made from tin cans with holes punched in Christmasy patterns with candles to light the scenes. The people would stroll the street looking at the floats. Ours was lovely (a Victorian theme) but they wouldn’t need many, just something to highlight the season and the sponsor. To end the evening there could be a fireworks display, if the town could get them. Maybe the towns wealthiest member could donate them as his or her contribution.

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