Today The Ghost Who Came for Christmas was released in audiobook format by Tantor Audio. Just in time for Christmas!
For those readers who are members of Audible, if you purchase the eBook at Amazon, you can get a great deal on the audiobook at Amazon.
Find the audiobook here:
Christmas is just eleven days away, and if you’re looking for a cozy Christmas book to curl up with, check out The Ghost Who Came for Christmas.
While I advise reading the books in the Haunting Danielle series in order (this is Book 6), it isn’t critical for enjoying the story.
With a house full over the Christmas holiday, Danielle has been spending a great deal of her time baking—recreating culinary memories and holiday traditions from her childhood. One of those is a chocolate drop cookie borrowed from my own childhood.
If you are in the mood for baking, here’s the recipe.
This cookie was a Christmas tradition when I was a child. During the holidays my paternal grandmother, Madeline, would fill a roasting pan with chocolate chip cookies and the chocolate drop cookie. My father (the original Walt) loved both, yet I believe the chocolate drop was his favorite. These are moist cake-like cookies, a delight to any chocolate lover! But don’t over-bake!
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in 1/2 teaspoon of warm water)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate (melted)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 375º. Cream together sugar and shortening. Stir in egg, milk, then remaining ingredients, one by one. Blend well. Drop by teaspoonful on cookie sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes (Do not overcook!) Frost while warm. About 3 dozen cookies.
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cream or milk
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Blend together sugar and cream. Add melted chocolate, stir well. Add vanilla, mix thoroughly. Frost warm cookies.
Instead of writing, Don and I spent the afternoon decorating for Christmas. It reminded me of one of the (many) reasons I love my husband. Don’s sentimental and traditional, and he loves getting out the Christmas decorations each year. Of course, ever since we got the pre-lit artificial tree, it makes it easier for him to love.
We both miss a live tree, especially the scent of pine. But it’s dry in Arizona, and live trees don’t fare well here. The risk of a fire simply isn’t worth it to me.
I’m determined to slow down and enjoy the Christmas season. Seems like it comes quickly each year, while I’m engrossed with other matters of life, and it slips by with minimal fanfare. Last year, I was dealing with a breast cancer diagnosis and surgery in early December. Hardly the stuff to get one in the Christmas spirit.
This year I’m feeling pretty good, and I intend to savor the season.
It’s also the perfect time to read The Ghost Who Came for Christmas–but if you haven’t yet read books 1 through 5 in the Haunting Danielle series, you might want to do that first. While each book in the series is a standalone story, they are told in chronological order, and I believe readers enjoy the books more if read in order.