Guest Post + #Giveaway with Shelley Shepard Gray; A Christmas For Katie
We’re happy to be turning the blog over to author Shelley Shepard Gray today to talk about the perfect topic for this Thanksgiving day: Cooking. Shelley is here to talk about her new release, A Christmas For Katie, and one of her favorite scenes in the book that involves this very topic. Shelly is also stopping by with a giveaway, so read on and comment!
A CHRISTMAS FOR KATIE
I always smile when interviewers ask if I’m Amish. I’m definitely not Amish. In a lot of ways, I’m very much a city girl from Houston, Texas. I enjoy modern conveniences like my Blackberry and the computer. I get my nails done on a regular basis, and nine times out ten they’re painted red. Finally, I seem to always be looking at my watch. I love schedules and love being on time.
However, I do have something in common with most of my Amish characters-I love to cook. Actually, I love to bake, and I bake a lot. Not everything turns out well, though! Over the years, I’ve had my share of cooking disasters. The worst was when I was in fifth grade and whipping meringue with an electric mixer. Somehow I got the ends of my hair in the beaters. Within seconds a big chunk of my hair was wrapped up in the very sticky beaters and practically attached to my head! I still remember the pain of trying to get those beaters out of my hair…and the pain of watching my mother cutting a big chunk of my hair in order to get those beaters out.
Just a few years ago, I actually had to use the ‘fire blanket’ because I managed to set the oven on fire while baking chess pies. Now that was a difficult story to tell my husband!
Luckily, most of my mishaps have only involved making a cake or soup that didn’t turn out so great. Lately, I’ve been determined to make a better cheesecake. None of them are turning out like my mother’s but I’m sure one of these days I’ll get it right. Until then? My husband has to help me be the cheesecake tester. He says there are far worse jobs to do, and I have a feeling he is right.
In A Christmas for Katie, one of my favorite scenes involves many of the female characters making Christmas cookies together. I love the long process of rolling out the dough, picking just the right cookie cutter, carefully placing it on the baking sheet, and then painstakingly decorating them when they’re cool. I’ve even included a recipe at the back of the book for Sour Cream Cutouts, direct from my Amish friend in Sugarcreek.
So far, I’ve never had an Amish character be a poor cook, but I think that definitely has possibilities. I think it would be fun to add a lot of my kitchen disasters in a book-and if you happen to read about a kitchen fire? You’ll know that’s based on a true story!
Until then, I hope all of your Christmas baking turns out beautifully! What is your favorite thing to bake for the holidays?
About the Author:
I grew up in Houston, Texas, went to Colorado for college, and after living in Arizona, Dallas, and Denver, we moved to southern Ohio about ten years ago.
I’ve always thought of myself as a very hard worker, but not ‘great’ at anything. I’ve obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree…but I never was a gifted student. I took years of ballet and dance, but I never was anywhere near the star of any recital. I love to cook, but I’m certainly not close to being gourmet…and finally I love to write books, but I’ve certainly read far better authors.
Maybe you are a little bit like me. I’ve been married for almost twenty years and have raised two kids. I try to exercise but really should put on my tennis shoes a whole lot more. I’m not a great housekeeper, I hate to drive in the snow, and I don’t think I’ve ever won a Monopoly game. However, I am the best wife and mother I know how to be.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that in God’s eyes that is okay? That from His point of view, we are all exceptional? I treasure that knowledge and am always so thankful for my faith. His faith in me makes me stand a little straighter, smile a little bit more, and be so very grateful for every gift He’s given me.
I started writing about the Amish because their way of life appealed to me. I wanted to write stories about regular. likeable people in extraordinary situations-and who just happened to be Amish.
Getting the opportunity to write Inspirational novels is truly gratifying. With every book, I feel my faith grows stronger. And that makes me feel very special indeed.
Giveaway Details:
Tanya
Thank you for sharing this story about yourself Shelley Shepard Gray.
I love to read your books.
I am a Amish book junkie.
Please keep writing your wonderful books.
God Bless,
Cheryl B
Cooking with my family has created many cherished memories! Thank you for a chance to win a book that I would love to read.
I enjoy baking cookies and bread during the holidays. Love reading your books. Also love reading Christmas and Amish books. Thank you for the chance to win one of your books.
I love your books. Hope to have read them all in the future.
Thanks for sharing and the chance to enter the giveaway. Many years ago, not long after my husband and I married, we were having company and I decided to try my husband’s Aunt Jo’s cheesecake. I followed directions carefully, cooked it the exact time the recipe said, and it wasn’t getting “set.” I cooked it a little longer, but still not ready. By then I was in tears, afraid to mess it up if I kept cooking it. So my husband called Aunt Jo and asked if it was OK to cook it longer. She said it was, I did, it finally turned out OK, and I adjusted the time in the recipe. I’ve made Aunt Jo’s cheesecake lots of times since then with no tears. I think I’ve mellowed to the point that “cooking disasters” don’t bring tears anymore.
Happy Holidays!!!! This is a great addition the any holiday reading.
Like reading your books.Thanks for the chance to enter the giveaway.Happy Holidays.What is your favorite thing to bake for the holidays?Pies.
Really enjoyed your post. We’ve all had kitchen mishaps, got me to thinking about some of mine. Really made me laugh. Makes life interesting, these little mishaps. Looking forward to reading this book. Please don’t enter me in the contest as I don’t have an e-reader. Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving. I always loved to bake sugar cookes and frost them, but am not able to do that anymore. Still great memories.
My biggest mishap in the kitchen was many years ago, the 1st Thanksgiving that I was married (1958). We bought a turkey and got up early and put it in the oven. Cooked it all day and then all evening. No one had bothered to tell a newly married 17 year old that you needed to thaw that bird out for about 3 days. We finally got tired of messing with it, took it for a car ride and threw it in the river. We had a sandwich for a late supper.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter these contests. God Bless!
Thank you for the giveaway chance…this book looks like a wonderful read!
I love to make gingerbread cookies…or attempt it! I’ve done this for the last 3 years and it’s not quite right but I’m hoping this year will be the one!
Ivegotmail8889(at)yahoo(dot)come
Thanks for sharing!! Count me in!
This would be a great holiday read! Hope I win!