IMHO Welcomes Christie Craig!

Christie Craig, an Alabama native, is an award-winning, multi-published writer, multi-published photo journalist, motivational speaker, and writing teacher. Her non-fiction articles and photography have appeared in almost three thousand national magazines. (Don't worry. She'll explain that picture in a minute.)

A Golden Heart finalist, and a finalist in more than fifty RWA-sponsored contests, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone.

Published by Silhouette in the 90s, Christie broke back into fiction in 2006 in a big way, making four book sales in one day. Her seventh humorous single title romance novel, Divorced, Desperate and Deceived (from Dorchester), will hit the stands in June 2010.

Her non-fiction book, co-authored by Faye Hughes, released September 2008, is The Everything Guide To Writing A Romance Novel, and their second non-fiction book, a humorous self-help relationship book, Wild, Wicked and Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You Are in a Romance Novel is scheduled to be released December 2010. Craig’s latest writing adventure is the sale of a young adult paranormal romance series, Bone Creek Camp, that will be published by St. Martin's Press in the near future.

While Christie has learned to laugh at life, it hasn't always been a bed of banana peels. Fellow author Teri Thackston interviewed Christie about her incredible journey from being a dyslexic high school dropout to becoming a prolific and successful author here.

IMHO: Christie, welcome back to IMHO! Wonderful having you here again. This time, though, instead of talking about Valentines and romance, you're talking Christmas. Tell us what you want most out of the season this time of year.

CC: Ah, Christmas. The most beautiful time of the year. The time of giving and of warm hearts. Or as I often refer to it, this is the second time this year that I will end up with my hand up a turkey’s butt. Don’t misunderstand, I’m not a Scrooge. I love Christmas.

I love the smells of Christmas—the fresh pine makes my eyes swell and my nose run like a leaky faucet. I’m all into the Christmas music, too. I mean, who doesn’t feel the spirit of the season after getting the song, "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer," stuck in your head because it’s been played over and over?

The Christmas food—seriously, knowing you’ll gain ten pounds over the next few weeks is so exciting. I adore going to my husband’s Christmas party and meeting all the weird folks he’s complained about all year. And knowing that the other wives are looking at my hubby the same way I’m looking at theirs.

I love the Christmas movies, snuggling on the sofa with a glass of red wine, and watching the ghosts terrorize the stingy ol’ fart. Oh, and I really love walking two miles to get into the mall, in the cold, while it’s raining. And once you finally get there, I adore feeling the real Christmas spirit. There is just something special about seeing two moms wearing red and green sweaters having a fist fight over the last Tickle Me Elmo.

But seriously, I really, really do love Christmas. Why, when I’ve done nothing but complain? Well, I love Christmas because it’s about family. It’s about traditions. I know I’ve whined about those traditions, and while I honestly don’t like cleaning out the innards of a turkey, I love sitting around that dinner table watching everyone enjoy the food I worked so hard to prepare.

I don’t like having to fight the crowds at the mall, but I love watching my family’s eyes light up when they open the gifts—and it’s not the gift’s price tag, it’s the sentimental value of knowing I picked it out just for them. That just maybe I got into a fist fight to get the last one.

It wouldn’t be right if I didn’t have to carry around tissues for a week in December to keep my running nose in control. It wouldn’t be Christmas if there wasn’t the music and movies that I’ve seen and heard so many times. It wouldn’t be December if I didn’t have too many baby spinach quiches or those tiny barbequed wieners forced upon me.

It just wouldn’t be Christmas if I didn’t hear the merry laughter of children hoping their mom wins the fist fight so they’ll get the Tickle me Elmo.

Christmas and all the traditions aren’t perfect. They can drive us crazy if we let them, but I suggest you do what I do. Take a deep, pine-scented breath and through allergy-stricken eyes, view the craziness of this holiday with humor. Laugh. Laugh loud and laugh often. And more importantly, remember that the real meaning of this crazy hectic time is about love. It’s about family. Enjoy it and embrace those in your life. Merry Christmas!

IMHO: Thanks, Christie.  Why don't you tell our IMHO readers which book you are putting into the Christmas tote today?

CC: A signed copy of Divorced, Desperate and Deceived, which I guarantee will help you laugh your way through the holiday stress—so make sure you leave a comment.

IMHO: Good choice! Publishers Weekly says of Divorced, Desperate and Deceived, "The action only stops long enough for steamy passion in this fast-paced conclusion to Craig’s contemporary romance trilogy (after 2008’s Divorced, Desperate and Dating)...Craig keeps the sexual tension as high as the suspense..."

Leave a comment for Christie for a chance to win DDD as well as signed books by Emily Bryan, Jennifer Ashley, Christie Craig, Carrie Lofty, TJ Bennett, and a $20 gift certificate from Amazon.com. We all know we love this time of year...but secretly there are a few things we probably think we could live without. Let Christie know what your least-favorite part of the holidays is (bah-humbug!). Don't forget--to be eligible to win, leave a comment for at least one other guest author this month as well (the more, the merrier).

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TJB