#Delectable December: Get Cracking this Christmas with Keira Andrews #gayromance
I’m pleased to have Keira Andrews guesting on my blog today! She’s going to share a British holiday tradition I first encountered when visiting a friend’s family for Christmas my first year in London during graduate school. The crackers they had included a silly paper crown which everyone wore for a few minutes. My friend’s dad kept his on the whole meal and it got progressively more lopsided as he imbibed. I still smile thinking back to that Christmas. You may find yourself wanting to try a new family tradition.
One of my very favourite parts of Christmas dinner is not the food itself. Don’t get me wrong — I love the food, whether it’s a butterflied turkey (so juicy!) or perhaps crown roast of pork, or even quail one year. Not to mention the stuffing and roast potatoes and squash, and all sorts of deliciousness. My mom’s cooking is always amazing no matter what’s on the menu.
But the treats that really tickle me at Christmas dinner are the Christmas crackers. Crackers are a tradition in the UK and many other Commonwealth countries, including mine — Canada. Around the table, everyone holds an end in each hand and on on the count of three, we pull. With a loud — you guessed it — crack (and sometimes a snap and pop), the crackers burst open and spill their goodies.
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Inside we always find some kind of plastic toy (perhaps a spinning top or little car) and a folded piece of paper containing a terribly punny and therefore wonderful joke that must be read out loud. Of course the crowning glory of the Christmas cracker is the brightly coloured paper crown (modeled by this lovely family that for the record is not mine), which we are constitutionally required to wear until the end of the meal when mom serves plum pudding with fresh cream. (Mmm, I’m getting hungry writing this post!)
I’ll be home for Christmas
In my new Christmas romance, Where the Lovelight Gleams, Hollywood actor Cary learns about the Christmas cracker tradition when he spends the holidays with his co-star Ryan and Ryan’s family at their cabin in rural Ontario. In fact, Cary learns quite a bit this Christmas — especially about himself.
This Christmas, actor Ryan Drake is pining. He may get to kiss gorgeous Cary Holloway on the set of their hit TV show, Space Academy, but he knows it’ll never happen in real life. Charming Cary–the son of Hollywood royalty–is straight, as evidenced by his starlet girlfriend. But Christmas is a time for unexpected gifts, and Cary accepts Ryan’s invitation to leave the palm trees behind and spend the holiday with his family at their cabin in the Great White North.
Amid the snow and mistletoe, Ryan struggles to keep his longing under wraps. Little does he know, Cary wrestles with his own unspoken desires, and his very identity. Surrounded by family and holiday joy, their warm friendship deepens. Will these two co-stars have the courage to brave Hollywood pressures and take their romance offscreen–or will it be only in their dreams?
The Contest
Win a free copy of Where the Lovelight Gleams!
Comment below to enter to win and get extra entries with Rafflecopter. Good luck and happy holidays! What are your favourite December traditions?
After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, fantasy and paranormal fiction, and – although she loves delicious angst along the way – Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said, “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what Fiction means.” You can find out more about Keira and her books online at her website, Facebook and Twitter. Keira’s Amazon Author Page.
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14 Responses to “#Delectable December: Get Cracking this Christmas with Keira Andrews #gayromance”
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Some of my family’s favorite December traditions include: advent calendar, building a gingerbread house, decorating the house and tree, watching our slate of holiday shows.
I adore advent calendars! The ones I had as a kid were sent from England by my gran, and they had beautiful pictures inside. Later I discovered the chocolate ones. 😀
Thanks for commenting!
I always do a lot of holiday baking, and I look forward to the amazing tamales family friends bring on Christmas Eve (we open presents that night, too)….
Oh, I love tamales too at the holidays. My friends always make special flavors. Yum.
Tamales! YUM. Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a great story! I’d love a chance to read this!
Thanks so much! Good luck! 🙂
Our most cherished Christmas Tradition, besides all the decorating and calendars, is definitely the walk through our little village on Christmas Eve to see so many of our neighbours and wish them a merry Christmas.
Birgit, that sounds wonderful! Thank you for commenting, and happy holidays.
One of my favorite Christmas traditions are the many chances to sing and hear carols. It’s also a great time to spend making memories with loved ones.
I couldn’t agree more, Marie! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more, Marie! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
There are so many traditions that I love – decorating, baking cookies from recipes that have been in my family for generations, getting together with family for Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Me too, Antonia! I love all those things — especially the cookies. 😉
Thanks for sharing!