First Fridays with the Crew - Tartan Day

What's special about April 6? It's Tartan Day—a celebration of Scottish heritage that's also held in Australia on July 1st. But why those two dates?

• On April 6, 1320, the Declaration of Arbroath was signed declaring Scottish independence in a letter to Pope John XXII. 
• July 1 is the anniversary of the repeal of the 1747 Act of Proscription that banned the wearing of tartan. 

Where is Tartan Day celebrated?

• Tartan Day originated in Canada in the mid-1980s after being proposed at a meeting of the Federation of Scottish Clans in Nova Scotia. 
• In Australia in 1989, the Scottish Australian Heritage Council began encouraging Australians to wear tartan on July 1 to celebrate Scottish heritage and raise funds for charitable causes such as drought assistance. 
• In the USA in 1997, the Scottish Coalition USA in Sarasota Florida worked toward seeing a Tartan Day recognized. In 2002, a parade that included 8,250 pipers and drummers was led by Sean Connery through the streets of New York. 
• In Scotland, the first Tartan Day festival was held on April 6, 2004. 
• In Argentina (where they have the largest community of Scottish descendants outside the English-speaking world), the first Tartan Day parade was held in Buenos Aires on April 6, 2006. 

Sean Connery with members of the USAF Reserve Pipes & Drums.
Tartan Day, Washington D.C.

What do people do on Tartan Days?

• Events include parades of pipe bands, Highland dancing, and other Scottish-themed activities. 
• And I bet there's also a lot of reminiscing about the Scottish stories that we love. 

Read on to see the Get Lost in Story crews' favorite Scottish stories, heroes, heroines & more! 

~ * ~

Jacqui Nelson 

In The Last of the Mohicans, cultures collide along with love and war in the Adirondack Mountains in 1757. The French enlist the Huron. The Iroquois side with the British. And Hawkeye and his adoptive Mohican father and brother are caught in the middle…along with two Scottish sisters, Alice and Cora Munro.

Oh, Cora Munro - what a character and a performance by Madeleine Stowe! Cora speaks her mind, she misjudges Hawkeye, she apologies, she’s miffed by his response to her apology, she surprises him by pulling a musket from her skirt pocket because he wisely advised a soldier traveling with her to pick up a weapon after they survived a brutal attack earlier that day. She’s smart and adaptive. She’s brave and protective - not only of her loved ones but strangers too. She judges people by what they do, not by who they say they are - or might one day be when life is easier. And she’s Scottish :)

What else is Scottish about The Last of the Mohicans movie? Its beautiful music. The main theme song was taken from the tune The Gael by Scottish singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean. I also love his song Caledonia (Latin for Scotland). CLICK HERE to listen to Dougie MacLean sing Caledonia, or CLICK HERE to listen to The Gael played by Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (and see some lovely pictures of Scotland too).

Read an excerpt from my novella Choosing Bravery set in Oregon 1868 with my Scots-Canadian hero, Lachlan Bravery, and my French-American heroine, Élodie Rousseau.

Avril Tremayne

I have to give a shout out to Clandara, by Evelyn Anthony. I can't remember when I first read this book, but I know that every time I re-read it the power of it is every bit as breathtaking. It's really stood the test of time for me, and that's saying something, given it was first published in the 1960s.

Katharine Fraser and James MacDonald fall in love when they meet outside their native Scotland - they would never have done so if they'd met at home, because their families have been feuding for hundreds of years. Despite both families being furiously opposed to their relationship, a betrothal is finally wring from both families - only for a heartbreaking betrayal to tear Katharine and James away from each other.

This is a brutally passionate story of a love that will not die, no matter what the hero and heroine put each other through. The love plays out against the turbulent backdrop of the Jacobite rising of the 1740s, and it is completely engrossing. I think I'm going to go off and read it again right now!

Amanda McIntyre

My first encounter with a Scottish Highlander came in the form of Christina Skye's Roan MacLeod, the guardian ghost of Draycott Abbey. (*insert sigh) In CHRISTMAS KNIGHT,(c.1998) tis true that poor Hope O'Hara never had a chance-nor did this lasses heart.

On my keeper shelf, I have read it a number of times, like a breath of fresh air, the descriptive scenery and deeply emotional and flawed characters renew what I so love about reading--why visiting Scotland remains at the top of my bucket list.

 Skye weaves in the magic and history of Scotland and raises the bar on the epitome of chivalry, honor and what it means to be a hero.

Other fav books featuring Scottish heroes include:
The  Great Scott by Donna Kauffman
The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie  by Jennifer Ashley

Movies:
Highlander
Rob Roy


MacIntyre DNA:
Recently we  did the DNA testing on one  of the ancestry sites and it resulted in my husband being more from Irish roots, while mine were decidedly more Scottish roots.

I chose McIntyre as my pen, it's a family name derived from clan MacIntyre-which Americanized became McIntire on my grandmother Glenna's side. Tartans vary from ancient to modern, but I've always loved this version of MacIntyre tartan.

Learn more at the Scottish registry of Tartans

Lizbeth Selvig

In all honesty my first introduction into the world of Scottish fiction was the television show The Highlander. I had some serious crushing over Adrian Paul going on at that time. It was weird, wild, and kind of wonderful despite all the beheadings, and since I'm totally a contemporary girl when it comes to books and movies, it fit my preferences, too. But unlike most of my fellow authors and readers, I didn't binge on historical Scottish Highland romances. It wasn't until I met Patience Griffin at reader event and heard about her contemporary Scottish romances that I had to try one. It was just darling--the story of Cait Macleod, a disillusioned reporter returning to her small home town of Gandiegow, Scotland, and Graham Buchannan, a movie star who retreats to the town for anonymity and has no love of reporters. Perfect conflict! From the moment I finished the book, I knew I wanted to write one of my own--but I had no moral authority to  think I could pull of a Scottish novel.

Then a year ago I took a walking trip in Scotland and got to know 100-miles of the Highlands up close and personally--rain and all. My story ideas flowed and I'm now working on a new series! My moral authority then showed up in my Ancestry DNA test where, to my Scandinavian surprise, I learned I had 1% Scottish blood. I am definitely taking what authority I can get! Suffice it to say I'm now binging on all books contemporary Scottish. I'm hooked on Scotland and all the beautiful tartans, and everything that comes
along with having fallen in love with that beautiful, wild country!

~ * ~ 

Hope you'll share your favorites in the comments. 

We'd love to hear what you love about the Scots! 

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Bachelors of Blueberry Cove

HALF MOON HARBOR

Bachelors of Blueberry Cove, book 2

Kensington

Bold, brash, Irish–Brodie Monaghan’s been breaking hearts ever since he arrived in Maine to rebuild the family business. Still, there’s one woman he just can’t wow. Grace Maddox claims she’s now part owner of Monaghan Shipbuilders, and she has her own dreams for the weathered dockside buildings. Tiny Blueberry Cove has a way of welcoming strangers with wide open arms, but is the sleepy coastal village ready for the fireworks these two spark?

DIY is so much better with two. . .

Read a little, Buy the book

USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, DONNA KAUFFMAN has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet...and under every bed....), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and...), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers! You can contact her through her website.

THE DOWN LOW on BLUEBERRY COVE

In an article about fictional small towns Donna stated, "I love the encapsulated feel of a small town. As a character in one of my Cupcake Club books says, 'It's like being in a continual group hug.' I like that closeness, both the support it gives to all the characters, and the obstacles it creates, being in each other's back pockets. Secrets are hard to keep in a small town, and everybody has an opinion on everything. I love that!"

ANGI: What's different about BLUEBERRY COVE, MAINE?

DONNA: I love all of coastal Maine, and have been end to end numerous times now, but was most deeply drawn to the northern stretch of the coast, Downeast, than the more traditionally well-known touristy southern end. So, I decided to set my small town there, where it’s more rustic, more rugged, and the folks perhaps a bit more delightfully quirky. 

ANGI: What's your favorite thing about Blueberry Cove?

DONNA:  That would go hand in hand with the first answer - it’s a different setting for coastal Maine, and I love that it allows me to explore a different kind of small town, one that embraces its rich, seafaring ancestry as one of the earliest towns to be settled in the Americas. 

ANGI: Can you share if Blueberry Cove is modeled after a real Maine town (and which one)?

DONNA: Blueberry isn’t modeled after any one town. It’s drawn more as a composite, from the history of that part of the coast, the heritage there, drawing from many elements of the way of life there, both now and throughout the centuries since it was originally settled. 

ANGI: Who are your favorite recurring secondary characters? 

DONNA: I think Fergus McRae, the somewhat crusty Irishman who runs the Rusty Puffin pub and is the patriarchal figure in the McRae family is one of them, for sure, but most definitely the top spot goes to Eula March, the ageless, timeless owner of Mossycup Antiques, which features a mossy cup oak tree growing right up through the middle of the shop and is rumored to be inhabited by the wee folk who may or may not help her with her somewhat magical and mystical restorations.  

ANGI: What’s your favorite thing about Brodie?

DONNA: I adore an Irishman with a sexy swagger, and the drop dead accent to go with it.  Especially when he’s quite content with charming his way into the hearts and lives of his new American neighbors, but thinks he’s immune to the charms of any one particular woman. He begins to see the error in that thinking in Pelican Point, the first book in the series, but it’s not until he meets Grace Maddox in Half Moon Harbor that he realizes his life as a happy bachelor is about to come to a rather abrupt end.

ANGI: What’s your favorite thing about Grace?

DONNA: I love that she’s brave enough to make the change in her life she must make if she wants to have a chance at finding what is most important to her, even if it terrifies her, with no guarantee it will work out the way she hopes it will. She wants to reunite with her estranged brother, Ford, who is her only remaining family, and more importantly, find a way to establish herself in a place she can call home, and truly feel and believe it is all of that and more. 

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: You said in our last interview-- "I've gotten to travel to so many fascinating places and meet so many wonderful, amazing people while researching books, speaking at conferences, attending signings." Where's your favorite place you've gotten to travel? 

DONNA'S GOTTA ANSWER: So many to choose from! Coastal Maine nears the top of the list and I look forward to heading back there this fall…but top spot has to go to the Western Highlands of Scotland. Specifically the Isle of Skye and the Outer Hebridean Islands.  I write contemporary romance and love bringing in a setting that is otherwise more traditionally seen only in historical romance. Skye and the outer islands have been inspiration for a number of books, most notably The Legend MacKinnon, The Charm Stone and, most recently, my Hot Scot series. It is the home of my ancestors and I have felt inexplicably like a lifelong resident (maybe more than one life?) since my first time setting foot on the island.

FIND DONNA

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Instagram: writerchick Donna Kauffman

Previous GLIAS interviews

DONNA's Full Backlist

DON'T MISS

PELICAN POINT

Bachelors of Blueberry Cove Series

book 1

Blueberry Cove, Maine, is as small-town as small towns get. More than a little quirky, it has sheltered generations of families. But there’s always room for a new face…

Fixing things has always been Alex McFarland’s greatest gift and keenest pleasure. But with her own life thoroughly broken, she’s signed on to renovate the dilapidated Pelican Point lighthouse, hoping to reconnect with herself. The last thing she expects is to find herself falling in love – with the glorious coastline, with age-old secrets and welcome-home smiles . . .with rugged Logan McCrae, the man she just might be able to build new hopes on.

DIY is so much better with two.

ANGI'S back on First Friday with the Crew.

UP NEXT ON GLIAS:  EMMA CONNOR.

~Angi Morgan

Get Lost on Goodreads, Facebook

or @GetLostInAStory  #GetLostStories

DONNA WANTS TO KNOW: Are you drawn to books set in places that might interest you personally? Do you enjoy reading books where the setting (coastal, mountains, big city, small town) is intrinsic to the story itself? (Okay, so I cheated, that’s two questions, but they go hand in hand!) Tell me what location/setting is a “must check out” - one that will make you pick up a book regardless of if you’ve heard of the author before.

DONNA KAUFFMAN

PELICAN POINT

Bachelors of Blueberry Cove Series, Book 1

Kensington Brava

Blueberry Cove, Maine, is as small-town as small towns get. More than a little quirky, it has sheltered generations of families. But there’s always room for a new face…

Fixing things has always been Alex McFarland’s greatest gift and keenest pleasure. But with her own life thoroughly broken, she’s signed on to renovate the dilapidated Pelican Point lighthouse, hoping to reconnect with herself. The last thing she expects is to find herself falling in love – with the glorious coastline, with age-old secrets and welcome-home smiles . . .with rugged Sean McCrae, the man she just might be able to build new hopes on.

Portland Head

DIY is so much better with help.

EXCERPT

USA Today bestselling author of the Cupcake Club Romance series, DONNA KAUFFMAN has seen her books reviewed in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. 

She lives just outside of DC in the lovely Virginia countryside, where she is presently trying to makeover her newly empty nest into something that doesn’t have to accommodate piles of sports equipment falling out of her coat closet (okay, out of every closet...and under every bed....), size 13 cleats and sweaty uniforms cluttering her foyer (and stairwell, and laundry room, and...), and a kitchen that should have come with a traffic light. And a pantry monitor. (Anyone with a clever idea on how to repurpose lacrosse sticks into matching reading lamps, she’s all ears!) When she’s not stripping paint, varnishing an old auction house find, or trying to avoid bodily injury with her latest power tool purchase, she loves to hear from readers! You can contact her through her website. 

IT's FAN GIRL TIME WITH DONNA

ANGI: How often to you get lost in a story?

DONNA: My own? Every day! Even more enjoyable though, is getting lost in another author's story. I loved it as a kid and still love it now, probably more so because I know how special it is, creating a world that someone can get lost in. (That's the best compliment, ever, btw...when someone tells me they got lost in one of my books.)

ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?

DONNA:I started reading at age 4, so tons of Dr Seuss and Pokey Little Puppy feature heavily in there. But in terms of novel length fiction, my first was "Jessamy" by Barbara Sleigh, pubbed in 1967. (I'd love to own a copy, but they are rare and very pricey.) It's a time travel about an orphan girl who travels back and forth in time through a generations old wardrobe. Magical and my first introduction to the concept of time travel.

ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

DONNA:Well, Alice in Wonderland might not qualify as a true fairy tale, but it's a life long favorite of mine. I collect various issues of the book and have read it many, many times.

Pumpkin Lights

ANGI: What do you like about the hero of your book?

DONNA:He's an Irish charmer and natural flirt, and completely unrepentant about his love and admiration for the opposite gender…who finds himself completely head over heels for the heroine. He knows a lot about wooing, but finds himself at a total loss on the "keeping her" part. I love that he's open, honest, and forthright about his utter lack of ability in that area, even as he does his best to master the learning curve before it's too late.

ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?

DONNA: While writing the Blueberry Cove novels, I've been watching and listening to the seabirds out on Seal Island, Maine via Audubon Org's live cams, and got so used to having that as the backdrop 'white noise' while I wrote that when the puffins all went back out to see the cams were shut down for the season, I went looking for a birds/beach soundtrack to fill the void. (And found several good ones!) It's incredibly soothing and transports me immediately back to coastal Maine.

ANGI: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

DONNA:Actually, the best is a blend of both. It's why I became an instant addict of the television series Once Upon A Time. It's the ultimate mash up of both worlds.

ANGI: What was the first story you remember writing?

DONNA: I had hamsters & gerbils as a kid and I used to write (and illustrate!) the Hamster Chronicle for my family. A little newspaper I'd "publish" every few weeks and make painstaking copies of, by hand on lined school paper, for every member of my family. Whether they wanted to read all the latest hamster news or not. :)

ANGI: Who’s your favorite villain?

DONNA: Well, he's a sort of villain and sometimes dark hero, but since the moment I was given an advance copy of Game of Thrones, by George RR Martin (before it was ever first published) I fell in love with devilishly wicked Tyrion Lannister. Fast forward many years later to the now crazy popular cable series of the same name, and I was thrilled to see Peter Dinklage cast in the role as he was who I'd imagined all along.

ANGI: What is your biggest vice?

West Quoddy Head

DONNA:My biggest guilty pleasure would have to be ice cream. It's a family thing. My latest absolute fave is a flavor only made in Maine. It's by Giffords and is a tribute to LL Bean (which is headquartered there) called Muddy Boot. It's basically pralines and cream with big chewy brownie chunks in it. Honestly, if I could have it shipped to Virginia in a freezer pack, I would.

ANGI: How is it working with hot guys and sexy women all day?

DONNA: Best. Gig. Ever.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: Longtime fan with a fan girl moment ~waving fingers at cheeks~ You've been in the romance business for a while now. What's your favorite thing that's happened to you as a result of writing romance?

DONNA'S GOTTA ANSWER: That I've gotten to travel to so many fascinating places and meet so many wonderful, amazing people while researching books, speaking at conferences, attending signings. I've been published steadily for twenty two years now, and it's an incredible ongoing adventure that I'm utterly grateful for. I can honestly say it excites me more and more the longer I'm at it. I can't wait to see what happens next! 

Rockland Harbor

FIND DONNA KAUFMAN

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Twitter @DonnaKaufman     Blog 

Instagram: writerchick  Donna Kauffman

Previous GLIAS interview: 9-25

UP NEXT for DONNA

HALF MOON HARBOR

Kensington Brava  5/14

SANDPIPER ISLAND

Kensington Brava 11/14

PREVIOUS RELEASES by DONNA

SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP

Donna Kaufman, Kate Angell, Kimberly Kincaid

Kensington Publishing

DONNA is giving away  a copy of Pelican Point to a commenter. Everywhere. Int'l readers welcome! So be sure to leave your email.

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

Don’t forget to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. I'll be back with a special treat on the 18th. ~Angi 

DONNA WANTS TO KNOW: Tell me the first title that pops into your head when I ask you what was the very first book you fell in love with?

LOVE & COOKIES

SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP

Donna Kaufman, Kate Angell, Kimberly Kincaid

Kensington Publishing

For friends Clara, Abby and Lily, only one thing is more delicious than the Pine Mountain holiday cookie exchange – finding the right man before they ring in the New Year!

WHERE THERE’S SMOKE…

USA Today bestselling author Donna Kauffman

When flames from a recipe gone disastrously wrong send hunky firefighter Will Mason to pretty Clara Parker’s rescue, the sparks really begin to fly! And once Will gets a taste of Clara, he aches for more than just a little sugar from the famously single food columnist….

THE GINGERBREAD MAN

National bestselling author Kate Angell

Folks have always told fun-loving Abby Denton that her anatomically correct Gingerbread cookies are…impressive. But those erotic cookies have nothing on the sexy stranger Abby saves from a snowy country road. Could Lander Reynolds be the Christmas treat she’s truly been longing for?

SUGAR AND SPICE

Kimberly Kincaid

When caterer Lily Callahan goes up against hotshot pastry chef Pete Mancuso in the bake-off of the season, the stakes are high—and scandalously passionate. Will the gorgeous gourmand steal Lily’s heart—and the top prize in the Christmas cookie competition?

all about DONNA: USA Today Bestseller, Donna Kauffman is an award winning author who has been published steadily for 22 years, with more than 50 titles currently in print, translated into more than 20 languages, sold worldwide.  She has seen her work reviewed and excerpted in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal, to Cosmopolitan and Entertainment Weekly.  She currently resides just outside the nation’s capital in the northern Virginia countryside where she is busy writing her next happy adventure. 

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: A lot of your titles are centered around food… So we have to know, what's your favorite dessert?   

DONNA'S GOTTA ANSWER: My mom’s cheesecake.  It’s legendary and the recipe is only passed to family members.  It’s so good I’ve fielded marriage proposals just to get one step closer to the recipe.  Okay, maybe they were kidding.  Only...it is pretty amazing, so... 

~ KATE ANGELL ~

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: What's your favorite beach activity?

KATE'S GOTTA ANSWER: I live in Florida, but so seldom get to the beach. When I have the opportunity, I take a long walk. I enjoy watching the volleyball games. I’ve tossed the occasional Frisbee. Floated on an air mattress. Sat on a low beach chair at the water’s edge. Sand between my toes is very soothing.

all about KIMBERLY:

Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet. She writes-- and lives-- by the mantra the food is love. Her debut, The Sugar Cookie Sweetheart Swap, is the first look at Pine Mountain, where her new series is set. You can find Kimberly on the web. 

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: You also have a lot of food in your stories…what's your favorite dish to cook?  

KIMBERLY'S GOTTA ANSWER: I have a lot of favorites, but nothing comforts me like homemade lasagna. It reminds me of my Grandma Frances. So it nurtures my belly and my soul!

MEET CLARA, ABBY AND LILY

ANGI: What do you like best about living in Pine Mountain?

CLARA: I grew up in Pine Mountain, so it’s home to me.  And my best friends are here, too.  What more could a girl want?  Well, except more eligible bachelors.  I’ve been dumped by most of them...

ABBY: I moved in with my grandmother when I was young, and my parents relocated in their careers.  Our cabin is the furthest up Pine Mountain. I love cold weather and lots of snow. My two best friends are in town, too.  

LILY: My whole family lives there, and for me (just like Dorothy!) there’s really no place like home. I love knowing I’m part of such a tight-knit community. Even if the Pine Mountain grapevine *is* more active than Twitter.

ANGI: What cookie did you bake for the exchange and why? 

CLARA: Oh sure, ask the non-baker the baking question. So, yes, it’s true. I cheated.  I got Lily to bake mine.  Trust me, it was for the good of the village.  It was that or risk burning my house down. And you can’t guarantee it will be the cute EMT’s will be the ones who run to your rescue.

ABBY: an erotic gingerbread man. Anatomically correct. I love gingerbread and peppermint sticks.

LILY: I made practice cookies for the competition. Even great recipes need testing!

ANGI: What's your favorite spot in your house?

CLARA: The part that doesn’t smell like smoke and fire extinguisher.  Oh.  Right.  There are no parts like that.

ABBY: The loft, which was my bedroom as a girl. Sleigh bed and antique treasures. And of course slumber parties with Clara and Lily.

LILY: Is there another room in my house besides the kitchen?

ANGI: What's your favorite thing about the man in your life?

CLARA: Beside the fact that he’s on the hot fireman calendar cover, you mean?  Actually, he’s my best friend.  I can be myself with him.  And he makes even me feel petite and feminine.  Which, at my height, is truly a dream come true.  Also, there’s the part where he comes in handy when I inadvertently burn things down.  Or up.
ABBY: I didn't know ‘who’ he was when I first met him. Stranded together at the cabin during the blizzard, I only knew him as Lander, no last name. He was kind, compassionate, and unpretentious.  I later learned he came from old-Philadelphia money. Biggest surprise of my life.

LILY: (blushing) Pete isn't afraid to take risks to get what he wants. He’s bold, and it reminds me that sometimes, you've got to put things on the line to be true to yourself.

ANGI: If Will, Lander and Pete were cookies…what kind would they be and why?

CLARA: I can’t stop thinking about Abby’s anatomically correct gingerbread men and...wow.  Yeah.  Let’s not go there.

ABBY: I have to say a gingerbread man, too. The ‘hard’ gingerbread cookie, not the soft.

LILY: Pete would be a gingersnap. They’re in-your-face, but with just a hint of sweet underneath.

ANGI: Do either of your best friends have pet peeves they don't admit to?

CLARA: You mean aside from the fact that they can bake like they were born to it and I can’t boil water?  Did I mention I have to write a cookie baking column? 

ABBY: Pet peeves? My friends are perfect!

LILY: My lips are sealed! Best friends keep each other’s secrets J

 

FIND DONNA KAUFMAN

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Twitter @DonnaKaufman     Blog 

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FIND KATE ANGELL

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FIND KIMBERLY KINCAID

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DONNA, KATE & KIMBERLY are giving away  copies of SUGAR COOKIE SWEETHEART SWAP to anyone, anywhere. Be sure to leave your email !

Note: COMMENTERS are encouraged to leave a contact email address to speed the prize notification process. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

Don’t forget to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes. Join us tomorrow for Lizbeth's Pre-Release party. And come next Wednesday when I host Day Leclaire. ~Angi

THE GIRLS WANT TO KNOW:

LILY: What’s your favorite holiday cookie? Why do you love it?

ABBY: What’s your favorite Christmas carol? I sing them all, but can’t carry a tune!

CLARA: I dream of being chic and cool like Audrey Hepburn, but always ends up channeling my inner Lucy Ricardo.  Who do you want to channel?  And who do you actually channel?