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As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Friday, December 10, 2010

Cindy Green's Office Christmas Party


“We’ve got to get these two together at this year’s Christmas party if it’s the last thing we do,” Sharon said, smiling brightly at her co-workers as she hung a shiny red heart-shaped ornament on the Christmas tree. 

“One of us has got to play Santa matchmaker this year and it might as well be me.”

“I want to play Santa,” Mary pouted, snatching the ornament Sharon had so gingerly placed between a green grinch and a red apple.” “We all remember last year’s party when you played matchmaker. You were so sure that two of our top employees were a match made in heaven that you set them up at the Christmas party. Talk about a fiasco. Man oh man. Girl, you kept the rumor mill buzzing for months at the water cooler. ”

Sharon hung an oversized holly wreath on the wall and snorted.” So who knew they were both wayward members of AA. Had I known sending them those Secret Santa letters would drive them to drinking, I wouldn’t have made them so mushy. Like I said, who knew?”
Lyn chuckled, nailing mistletoe in the doorway entrance. “You had them both so uncomfortable, they hit the spiked eggnog running.”

“There’s an understatement,” Mary giggled, taking a minute to tug at her tight green velvet dress to expose her cleavage. “It was more like they did a nose dive straight into the punch bowl and never came up for air until they were too wasted to know what they were doing or saying.”


“And by time they were wearing the lamp shades on their heads,” Lyn recalled, doubling over with hysteria at the memory. “They were the floor show.”

“More like the side show,” Sharon placed a Santa sleigh full of chocolate kisses on the table, getting into the spirit of decorating. “But if you recall, things didn’t get ugly until they started slugging eggnog at one another, hitting the president in the cross fire, saturating his designer suit beyond repair.”


“And the look on his face was worth the price of admission,” Mary ripped the foil wrap from a candy kiss and stuffed it into her mouth. “Made it a Christmas to remember.”

“I captured the moment on my trusty little digital camera,” Lyn said, plugging in the tree lights, creating a kaleidoscope of red and green twinkle lights to dance on the floor. “I didn’t mean for the entire office to see them. I hit 'send all' by accident, honest. I only wanted you girls to see the pictures as a joke.”
 
“It was a Kodak moment to say the least,” Sharon laughed. “I guess some people have no sense of humor. Go figure, who knew they’d actually get fired over a little eggnog, huh?”
 
“Who indeed,” Lyn said, stepping into her brand new black patent leather shoes. “Tell the truth girls. Do these shoes make my feet look big”
Sharon and Mary exchange a look. Sharon steals a peek at her backside in the mirror. Mary pulls down her dress a little more to expose her fake hooters.
Outside the office window, snowflakes swirled down from the sky, turning the world into a winter wonderland. Lights twinkled all over the city like shooting stars. Dangling icicles hung from rooftops, picking up the reflection of the shimmering lights.

“Christmas is so pretty, isn’t it?” Mary smiled. “It’s like the world is born anew.”


“It certainly is,” Lyn agreed, hanging candy canes on the tree. “Now about this office romance, maybe we should just forget it.”
 

“I don’t know,” Sharon frowned, not convinced she should give up on playing Secret Santa. “I still say the reason they got so wasted was because there wasn’t any food. That’s why this year, Oliver has made quite a delicious spread for the party. Speaking of the handsome devil, here he is.
 

Oliver strolls in, whistling The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Smiling, he begins laying out the feast he has prepared.

Twelve chocolate Drummers Drumming cupcakes, eleven Pipers Piping chocolate chip cookies, ten Lords a Leaping cranberry truffles, Nine Ladies Dancing white chocolate eclairs, Eight dark chocolate Maids a Milking, Seven mint chocolate Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying fudge brownies, Five Golden Rings Full of Joy, gingerbread men, Four double dipped Calling Birds, Three French Hen raspberry cream truffles, Two Turtle Doves Sinfully rich chocolate mousse and One True Love Devil’s Food cake in the shape of a heart.
  
 
Cocktails include strawberry punch, unspiked eggnog and cranberry orange coolers.
“Absolutely perfect, Oliver,” Sharon said, the warmth of the season filling her with joy. “And, girls, you’re right about playing Secret Santa at the office party. Let’s leave the matchmaking to Cindy Green. After all, she wrote the book ’All I Want for Christmas.’” 
Just then, Cindy Green sauntered in, mischief gleaming in her eyes. Dressed in a red velvet dress and Santa cap, she turns on the stereo. All I Want for Christmas filtered through the office.

Question
For a chance to win a prize from Santa Cindy, please answer the following


Are office romances a good or a bad idea?

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
Blurb:

Best Friends or True Love? Only Santa Knows.
Kathryn Graham hates Christmas. She hates the snow, the decorations, the whole nine yards. Nick Pringle on the other hand can’t get enough of the season. He may be her best friend and fellow writer at Redburn Weekly Magazine, but sometimes his exuberance gets on her very last nerve. Now they’ve been assigned to cover the orphan toy drive story. It’s just a puff piece not the serious journalism Kathryn hopes for, but maybe—as Nick says—there are no old stories just new angles.

Nick Pringle has been in love with Kathryn practically since the day they met. When he realizes that she’s lost her Christmas spirit, he figures he’s just the guy to help her find it again. He enacts a plan to send her anonymous gifts from Secret Santa, but will any of this really make a difference in her? Will she ever see him as anything more than her smart-aleck partner even after their passionate kisses? Then again maybe he’ll get what he wants for Christmas after all.
Excerpt:Halfway through the film, Nick’s fingers brushed over Kathryn’s wrist and a surge whipped through her like an electrical charge. His hand ended up on her knee, and he leaned over close to her ear. “You have any more of those Milkduds?”

“Huh?” Oh, candy. He just wanted more snacks. Well, of course, what other reason would he have for touching her like that?

“Here,” she whispered and held out the container to him.

His face remained close to hers, his warm hand still molded to the shape of her knee. She accidentally moved in too close and her forehead bumped his cheek. Looking up at him, Kathryn saw he wasn’t smiling. His eyes had grown serious and all thoughts of candy dissipated. His attention dropped to her mouth and suddenly Kathryn couldn’t swallow. Could he possibly be considering kissing her? Just then, he turned his attention back to the movie and lifted his hand from her knee.


An unexplainable inclination took over as Kathryn pushed his hand back to her knee. His face whipped back to her. Questions filled his features. His chest moved up and then down. He smoothed his hand over her pants from her knee to her thigh and back again. Her skin pebbled under the material at his touch. This was soon followed by heat tingling from her stomach to the tips of her toes.

She leaned in towards him and he met her halfway. And just like that their lips met. Giddiness spun through Kathryn’s head with sparks tingling her skin. The kiss was light and sweet yet searing all at once. Lucidity began to return to her the next moment. What was she doing? Oh, right, she was kissing Nick Pringle. She was kissing a co-worker. Worse yet, she was making out with her best friend. What was she thinking? She had to stop and yet it was the last thing she wanted to do.

The whole idea was ludicrous. An outrageous act and yet somehow her body’s sole response was that it wanted more. Whoa! Had it been that long since she’d had a date? Time to reign in those annoying hormones which threatened to take over her sanity.

She broke off the kiss and rested her hand against his chest. She could feel his heart speeding at the rate of a train. A train wreck is more like it. Ay-yi-yi! How was she going to get herself out of this one?


Available at Champagne Books, All Romance e-books and Amazon.


 
Biography:
Cindy K. Green is an author, teacher, maid, mother, wife and accountant. She’s been married for 15 years, has a degree in history and is a certified teacher, and taught middle school up until about six years ago. Now she stays home and homeschools her two boys.  Though born in California, she now lives in North Carolina out in the country about a ½ hour from Raleigh. She’s published in several genres: Inspirational, historical, contemporary, young adult and suspense. Those are also the genres she likes to read. She spends her (non-existent) free time reading, watching period dramas and doing her best to keep her house one step away from becoming a disaster area. Visit Cindy at her WebsiteBlog, Facebook, and  Twitter. Please join her  Newsletter by sending an email.


61 comments:

  1. Hi cindy, welcome to your roast. We hope you like the office party we've planned. Allow Oliver to fill your plate with chocolate goodies. All I Want for Christmas is so enchanting. Do you make your own videos
    Very cool

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  2. Hello Ladies (and dear Oliver too), Looking forward to a smashing party. ;) (maybe i shouldn't have used that word.

    Hi Sharon, yes I did make the book trailer video. I love playing with video.

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  3. I'm sending my newsletter out later today (or tomorrow) and including a FREE READ Prequel to 'All I Want for Christmas'. How Nick and Kat first meet. Join my newsletter and you can get your copy. Email me at newsletters@cindykgreen.com

    Thanks!

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  4. LOL Cindy, I actually had to read your comment twice before smashing hit me full in the face. LOL Either I need more coffee or OLIVER spiked the eggnog against my order not to. OLIVERRRRRRRRRR

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  5. Morning Sharon, maybe you just need a good cup of coffee. In the office you have to start your day with coffee. I don't drink it myself, but my heroine Kat must have her coffee every morning--although she prefers the chocolate and caramel kind from the coffee house.

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  6. Gotta have mine good and black and strong to wake up. But I love and am hopelessly addicted to my Chai tea.

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  7. I have a question for everyone!

    What would you like a handsome Secret Santa to bring for you??

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  8. Hmmmmmmm. What would I want from Santa? Any hot looking guys in that bag of goodies?
    Sharon do try to stay sober this time, that dancing on the table stuff could be embarrassing in a place like this! Did Oliver spike the punch? Whoa! I better go easy or I'll be the one to make a fool of myself.
    Cindy you look marvelous!

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  9. I'll go back to my PGTips tea, it's too early for spiked punch Oliver!
    So I feel like doing something unusual, something fun, any ideas Sharon, Cindy?
    Now that Lyn took off this morning and we have no clue what her mission was. But, she said she had one!
    Jingle bells, Jingle bells, jingle as I may! HEHE!

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  10. How much fun is this! LOL Thanks for the heads up Cindy.
    You ladies and Oliver do a bang up job here.

    What would I like a handsome Secret Santa to bring me???

    How about a Handsome Secret Santa, just for the holidays? After they are over he can go on his merry way. *wink

    Happy Holidays!

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  11. Helllo there Mary! Yes, you better avoid the punch--at least for the moment.

    Don't we all look lovely in our Christmas gowns.

    Well, maybe we should find our own Secret Santa, moseying around the office and asking questions just like Kat did. And didn't she end up with a Handsome Secret Santa?? Hmm.

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  12. OK Mary, I'LL do my best to stay off the table, but where can I do the Jingle Bell Rock? Wink wink

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  13. Hello Adelle,
    A hunky Secret Santa for you it is. Just ask Oliver to bring you whatever you like. ;)

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  14. Hi Adelle, so glad you like our little roast house. Have some chocolates, just beware of Oliver's wicked eggnog.

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  15. Oliver wants us to be merry. But it's a sure fire way to embarrass myself if I drink spiked punch.
    We do look hot don't we. Funny, Sharon's sexy with a big butt, Lyn not bad. And the shoes do not show how big her feet really are. She musta doctered the picture!
    And me, I look like I have melons on my chest, watermelons actually!
    The girls are not that big and they are real!
    Sharon, I set up a sturdy table in the managers office. Just so you can dance on it later! Welcome, everyone to a great party!!!
    Look at all the guests arriving! Who are they Cindy?

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  16. Hopefully we'll see Nick show up. He's the one with nice light brown hair without a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his suit. He's one to talk to anybody because he's that easy going.

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  17. But Kathryn might get jealous if we take up too much of his time. She's a bit tightly wound, if you know what I mean.

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  18. LOL Cindy, what would I like my SS to bring me? Twelve lords a leapin', of course.

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  19. Kathryn is insecure. Should we have a talk with her?
    Jingle Bells, Sharon smells!! HAHAHA!
    I love that one.
    (she really doesn't)

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  20. Cindy, I LOVE your excerpt and your characters. What a sweet and romantic kiss. I am giving myself for Christmas your All I Want for Christmas.

    Mary, Lyn and Sharon your pastry is way too delicious. How do you managed to fit in your gorgeous dresses with so much sweet around. I gained five pounds salivating in front of those scrumptuous cakes.

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  21. Office romances are always dicey. As long as it works out, everything is fine. When it bombs, so does office rapport. I say be good and darned sure of what you doing before you mess up a good job!

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  22. Pipe down, Mary, I haven't had enough of Oliver's eggnog yet to do the Jinglwe Bell Rock.

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  23. I want to see Sharon's jingle rock dance. ;p

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  24. The office romance is dicey indeed, Maggie. That's part of what has kept Nick silent for so long.

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  25. Hey Mona! Enjoy the book. I'll send you the prequel too.

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  26. You are in for a real surprise when Sharon does her Jingle Bell Rock. My goodness the whole place will rock!
    It's addicting and everyone starts to dance with her. It's only Sharon who jumps up and dances on tables. No one shakes their booty like Sharon does. And too bad Lyn ain't here. She does on heckofa shoe shuffle!
    Ahem...
    Nick come on over her and meet Oliver. He'll take care of you for sure! This office party will be one for the books!

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  27. Oliver, fill up plates for Mona and Maggie, but easy on the eggnog!
    Cindy, I need more eggnog before making a spectacle of myself. LOL Mary, on the other hand, has no shame.

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  28. True, I have nothing to be ashamed of that I can remember anyways. Maybe I just put that stuff out of my head?
    Where am I, who am I?

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  29. Eggnog All Around! Let's get this party moving!

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  30. Sharon, how much more eggnog will you have to drink to get you on the table dancing? Could it be? No, is it?
    Yes, it's the Duke and the James Gang and they are ready to rock this office party. Look at them all young and hot. Yippie! Party on dude, I mean Duke. Could it be?
    Wait one of the James Gang has the hots for Cindy! Go girl!

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  31. I'm not much of a dancer myself but it is a party after all!

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  32. Oh MG! be careful what you wish for.
    Don’t look now but here comes Twelve lords a leapin’, and boy are they leapin’! And they have Sharon on the table and are all doing the Jingle Bell Rock

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  33. Have some more punch. You'll get there!
    Yee Hah!
    Dancing,Yeah!!

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  34. there are so many people on the tables it's unreal. Sharon has the Duke, two James brothers, and twelve leaping Lords to egg her on I hope she doesn't get arrested! Man can she dance!!

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  35. After all that dancing a need some chocolate...Oliver, be a dear...

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  36. Oliver brings a huge box of Godiva chocolates and hands it to Cindy with a sexy, sly, grin. Cindy doesn't care. She grabs the box and makes sure that no one can steal any. Oliver hands out more to the other guests. They start to mob by the chocolate table!!
    Chocoholics beware!!

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  37. Mmm Godiva my fav. How did you ever know? The almond truffles especially. Excuse me, while I sneak one more.

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  38. Sharon, get off the darn table and put your shoes back on. Wait!
    Look at her go! Her feet are flying!
    It's like a sword dance mixed with hip hop. High kicks, (you're wearing those cute undies again! but these have pink polka dots!
    Nice legs!

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  39. Whew, that's something to tell the grandchildren about...or put in a book. Hmm, maybe i should be writing...

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  40. And the Duke has Cindy and could those be handcuffs

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  41. Hi Ladies,
    Merry Christmas to you all and an extra sloppy smoochy kiss for Oliver.
    Cindy, your story sounds like a perfect Christmas read.

    Cheers

    Margaret

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  42. I'm impressed. The Duke has Cindy handcuffed and is feeding her double dipped chocolate strawberries. Wow who knew

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  43. Where’s Lyn you ask? All right, Mary let the cat out of the bag when she told you she was on a mission. what mission? OK, I’ve had enough eggnog to let it spill.
    Lyn is on a Shoe Quest, yes, you heard me correctly. That’s Shoe Quest, not Star Quest, frantically searching the US and Canada, England, Ireland, Wales, Italy, Spain,France, and, yes, Margaret, even Down Under to find shoes large enough to fit her over-sized boats

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  44. Well, Ladies and gentlemen, it's been a fun party! Thanks for throwing it for me. :)

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  45. You've been great Cindy! I hope you sell a ton of books!
    You've been very special and don't forget to check tomorrow too!
    See you then! Nite Sharon!
    Boy is Lyn gonna be mad, the fact that you told, whew, she is gonna kill you!

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  46. Great excerpt! And geez! I wish MY office had Christmas parties like this. Ya'll should give hostess seminars.

    ;-)

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  47. Cindy,
    I love book trailers and you did a great job with yours!

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  48. Sharon, a dancing fool, waves to Margaret, Maeve and Victoria. Oliver, bring the new guests some spiked eggnog, hurry.

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  49. Cindy, thanks for all the fun at the annual Christmas office party. What dfun it was hiring those Twelve Lords a Leapin'. Can they dance the night away or what!

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  50. OOOOPPPS Mary, do you think Lyn will be mad I let it slip about her SHOE QUEST? LOLOLOLOL

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  51. Hi Cindy, Lyn breezes in, out of puff and loaded down with bags.











    Hi Cindy

    Lyn breezed in puffing a little. She hugs trhe guest of honoufr and blows air kisses to her sister hostesses. Hi Mary and Sharon sweeties. Oliver, Daahling, thank you I will have an egg nog! I fear you've overdone it with Mary \nd Sharon's though, they're very confused. Fancy saying I'm looking for shoes that are big enough for me. Truth is I'm having a had time finding anything small enough. Hmm, wonder if they have anything stylish in children's sizes? There's this little exclusive shop in Wales, I'll try them. Cheerybye.

    Lyn disappears, with a cheery wave to the guests.

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  52. Hmmm, seems a bit quiet around the office this morning. Could it be a few,(who shall remain nameless:)staff members indulged a wee bit too much at the Christmas party last night? They certainly have some cleaning to do ... oh my goodness! Someone will have to explain the necessity of a new table to the purchasing department-glad it's not me :)!

    I'd better put a jumbo bottle of Motrin and some Alka Seltzer by the water cooler. Maybe more of that eggnog too ...,
    (What is that old saying about hair of the dog that bit ya?)
    Let's see, coffee is on-whew! That should wake them up. It smells strong enough to walk out of the pot!
    Oh good! The kettle is at the boil so I can have some Earl Grey. Ahhh, nothing better than the Earl on a cold day ...
    Well, looks like we won't be getting any work done for a while, at least not until they all drag themselves from bed!
    Hmmm, there is a bright side to this rampant slacking: Totally uninterrupted reading time! Let me just grab Cindy's book!

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  53. Oh Rachel thanks for the tea!
    I love the smell of coffee but hate the taste. I was shocked when I saw how Sharon's dancing on the table broke it. She'll have to pay for that one.
    And poor delusional Lyn, she still insists her feet are small. Maybe she needs new glasses? Cause man, they look huge to me. Never saw anything like it. She's got nothing on Bigfoot.
    I say we start the party again. Wake up all these late sleeping partiers and get the dog that bit them!
    I love a good office party! Oliver, bring on the fresh food!!!

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  54. Hey Everybody! Sorry it has taken me so long to back over here. I had another party to attend (my son's 13th b-day). I had a lot of fun yesterday. Thanks for all the comments.

    The winner of a copy of All I Want for Christmas is...Victoria Roder. Email me at cindy@cindykgreen.com and I will send that out to you.

    For everyone else--email me and I will send you the prequel to the novel called Christmas Prelude.

    Thanks!!

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  55. What an awesome excerpt! I am a big fan of Cindy's Christmas novels...I'm going to have to put this on my wish list. The food looks great. I'm so bummed I missed it!

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  56. Hey Danielle,
    So glad you liked Snow Kissed. :) Thanks for coming. :)

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  57. Hey Rachel and Danielle, there are still plenty of sweets and a drop or two of Oliver's spiked eggnog. Cindy, wishing your son a Happy Birthday. Congratulations on winning ALL I Want for Christmas, Victoria. Lyn, dear friend, so happy your world-wide SHOE QUEST shopping trit paid off in spades. Who knew those Welshin elves could stretch leather that wide. Grin

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  58. Wow, what a great party I missed! So sorry, you know what these 'shoe quest trips are like!

    Congratulations on 'All I want fore Christmas' Cindy. What a great book for the holidays. Wishing you lots of success and hoping your son had a wonderful birthday,

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