UNDATED VERSION OF A DOOR COUNTY CHRISTMAS! Hot off the press!

Check out this new and updated version! Don't you love the cover!

If you look online, check specifically for this edition, as the older cover is only available from third party sellers.

Right now, the digital version is available for only $.99! But it's also available in print.

Chilled But Cheered

Amanda, again. I just heard that my author (I call her mine but that's like a cat thinking she has an owner. It's the other way around) and her good friend who just happens to be Jillian's author are coming to Door County next week! I'm thrilled! Maybe I'll have a chance to meet her and ask her why she didn't make me thinner. Or less insecure.

Anyway, I hope the chill in the air right now scoots back to Lake Superior where it belongs while the authors are here. I'd so love them to see my beloved Door County at her finest--which reminds me. I may need a new outfit. A nice butter-yellow hooded sweatshirt.

So, my author Cynthia (I call her Cyn for short) and Becky Melby will be here in just a few days! They're stopping in at The Landmark Resort on Thursday night the 11th for a booksigning (Great! Now EVERYONE will know about my insecurities!) at the Comedy Dinner Theater. Then Friday afternoon, November 12th, from 1-3 they're greeting readers at the Cupola House right here in Egg Harbor. That'll be fun. I wonder if I can treat them to a gelato. On Saturday, they're driving back down to Green Bay for an author event at Lighthouse Christian Bookstore from 11-1 or whenever. On Sunday afternoon, they're back up here on the "quiet" side of the peninsula in Baileys Harbor at Novel Ideas for an author event from 1-3.

I hope they enjoy themselves while they're here and remember to pick up some more dried cherries for chicken salad. Nothing like Door County dried cherries. And I have a new recipe for those bacon-wrapped Medjool dates. Proscuitto. Yum. Salty and sweet in the same bite.

Jordan just called. He wondered if I'd like to have dinner tonight at the White Gull Inn. I have a dumb old tuna casserole in the oven already, but it can wait for some other day. You won't catch me passing up a chance to sit near that enormous fireplace, sipping hot cherry cider, and staring into...that mounded plateful of arugula salad with candied pecans. You thought I was going to say something sappy about Jordan's melt-your-heart eyes, didn't you?

Yeah. Those eyes.

Frozen Custard Addict

Joanna, here.

Amanda's thinking about lakes. She's such a romantic.

I'm thinking frozen custard.

This fall has proved warmer than usual, but is that relevant? Not for me, a lifetime addict. Not Licked Yet, my frozen custard mecca in Fish Creek--and the world--keeps a toes-toasty fire going on chilly days. It's the perfect place to snuggle with a fellow addict--in my case, Paul--and snarf down a sundae or two. Or three.

Today, will I go with my usual Door County Sundae, with its creamy, dreamy frozen custard immersed in hot cherries and hot fudge with mounds of whipped cream?

Paul swears by the Yankee Snickerdoodle Doo Sundae--frozen custard between two yummy cookies, covered with hot caramel. My author loves that one, too. Really, dear, you might have gone with the smaller size.

We'll all have to put a few dozen miles on our bikes to handle this treat. Is it worth it?

Oh, yeah. . . .

What is it about water?

Amanda, here. I don't know what it is about water, but it's always soothed me. The look of it. The sound of it. Here in Door County it can be raucous and wind-whipped, goose-pimpled and timid, or smooth as a satin pillowcase and just as comforting.

The harbors in Door County have an uncanny voice. They say, "Come sit here by the edge of the water and we'll talk about what you're going through."

I suppose like a counselor who knows when to keep his mouth shut...or like the Lord, Who doesn't have to say ANYTHING to get His point across to me sometimes...the water listens.

Jordan listens to me.

In a way few humans ever have.

Except his mother.

Where is Lola? She'd love this view.

And the Winner Is. . .

Sandee61 is this week's winner of an authographed copy of A Door County Christmas! Thank you to everyone who shared their favorite spots to enjoy the fall. We'll be doing another giveaway next week, so stop by and tell your friends.

Maddy's Thoughts

Fall. It’s that time of year. Crisp autumn mornings have me bundled up in a sweater clutched tightly as I help Hilde into the backseat. I find myself distracted as I maneuver the Town Car on to the Interstate.

Vestal thinks I’m hilarious. “Cold?” He laughed. “Maddy, girl, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

And he’s right. In my Texas hometown, fall is barely noticed. Up here--it’s a palette of fiery reds and yellows. Maples and red oaks dangle their colors and toss leaves to the wind. I want to gaze out the car window, but must watch the traffic.

When the Grissoms are tucked safely inside their home, I promise to take a long walk and drink in the view.

It's not too late to get in on Jillian's book giveaway (posted September 24)! Lola will be drawing a name out of her swim goggles on Wednesday, October 6! To enter, leave a comment here about your favorite place to be when the leaves start turning.

Getting Acquainted in Door County

Joanna here, sharing photos of my author friends Rachael, Eileen, Becky, and Cynthia, who came to Door County to get to know me, Maddy, Jillian, and Amanda better. What a fun fall day--chilly, but gorgeous! How can the sparkling waves of Green Bay look so achingly blue?

Earlier, Jilli posted lovely outdoor scenes from the artist colony we all visited. Here's an inside view of one of the buildings. With the golden light, soaring ceiling, and magic windows, would there be any better place to write a novel?

Since a bed and breakfast figures prominently in A Door County Christmas, they had to explore rooms in the White Gull Inn. Nosy authors, but they were women on a mission. They were writing about Door County, and they wanted to get it right!

After only one day, Maddy, Jilli, Amanda and I felt like we had known them all our lives.