Welcome! Thanks for reading my newsletter and supporting me. It's been an awesome year.

 

About the holly: I chose it because I know it has a special meaning to the Celts and people love to use it to decorate during Christmas. Here's a little trivia for you that I found on a website about Irish Christmas Traditions.

 

" To the Celtics holly represented both life and rebirth, the evergreen leaves symbolized life during a time when all else was bare and the red berries represented the coming of Spring. With the coming of Christianity to Ireland the berries took on a new meaning, new life in Christ."

 

 

 

This Month's Contest: 

You thought I'd never get to it, right? Last month and the month before, the winner was Berni in upstate NY. Berni and my sister Bev in AZ are the champs in these contests, people. Are you going to let them get away with that? Seriously, go ahead and reply with an answer. I like to hear from people!

Here's the contest:

Answer this question correctly by replying to this email, and if you're first you will win a ceramic magnet with an Irish blessing inscribed.

What Christmas food has the following as ingredients:

sultanas and suet.

Mmm. Sound tasty? 

 

  Here's a special treat for you. Deirdra Doan has become a friend of mine through e-mail. Her husband, musician John Doan, graciously endorsed Celtic Wisdom. (If you'd like a copy of this book, email me!) Deirdra is a very talented artist, gifted in many ways: drawing, painting, singing, designing... One of her creations is pictured above. I swiped the image from her blog. She created a Christmas video she'd like to share with you. View it here.

Yes, this is my Christmas tree. Oops! Part of the manager scene under the tree fell over. The pieces are wooden and perfect for kids to play with. It was made by the mother of one of my former preschool students. My husband was responsible for the lights and the lopsided star (it's not really his fault. He says it's just a wimpy star) and I added the decorations. (Looks better in person.) Tom also lit the large blue spruce in front of our house again this year. Looks great in the dark (no street lights where we live!) Not a great picture, but you get the idea!

Years ago, when the kids were little, we used to cut our own Christmas trees. It was a family event picking out the tree, cutting it down, and hauling it home. Nowadays we use an artifical tree for ease. Miss the pine scent, though. 

Have a favorite tradition you'd like to share with me? Leave it on my blog, Celtic Voices. 

 

 

Don't forget!

From now until Christmas you can order Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story (softcover new edition, $18) and Brigid of Ireland ($14) from me and get free shipping. Celtic Wisdom is also available (hardcover, $13, $4 shipping.) Send a check to this address soon and I'll get them out right away.

Cindy Thomson

PO Box 298

Pataskala, OH 43062 

Sorry about the messed up link in the release announcement I sent out for Celtic Wisdom last month. Here is the correct link. 

Published This Month:

I had two magazine articles published. One in Internet-Genealogy (The ten top places to use your laptop for genealogy research on the go.) The other was a lighthearted piece in Discovering Family History on Kentucky Colonels. I'm one. So is my dad. Are you? (By the way, these magazines are available in larger bookstores such as Barnes and Noble.)

When I received my author copy of one of these magazines, a little sticky was attached. See below:

 

Don't worry. The check will follow. I've written for these magazines for a while now and have met the publisher in person. But for a freelancer it's always a thrill to know a check will follow! 

What I'm Up To This Month:
I'm working on an article for Family Chronicle on Migration Trails.

I will continue working on my newest novel, currently titled Eithne's Son, and possibly revising my finished novel (samples of which are sitting virtually on three editor's desks), which is titled Through the Mist. Both are set in ancient Ireland. I'm also still enjoying mentoring young writers through the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and this month will be adding some teenagers to my list. 

Coming Up Next Month:

The publication of a young adult biography. More on that in the next newsletter.

A one day writers' retreat at a state park with three other writing buddies!!

 A book club meeting at my church where we will be discussing Brigid of Ireland. (Contact me for more info if you're local.)

A redesigned website. Hopefully Tom and I will have www.cindyswriting.com functional soon. It was redesigned by my good friend Sue Emerick.