Christmas Spotlight Saturday: Guest Post and Giveaway with Cheryl C. Malandrinos, author of Little Shepherd

Hi, everyone!

Welcome to another edition of Spotlight Saturday at Darlene's Book Nook, where we feature authors and their books!

To celebrate the holiday season , we will be featuring Christmas books for the entire month of December Spotlights!

We will be joined today by Cheryl C. Malandrinos.

About Cheryl:

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is the author of Little Shepherd. She is a member of SCBWI, a book reviewer, and blogger. She has also written the upcoming children’s book, A Christmas Kindness, under the name C.C. Gevry. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two children. She also has a son who is married.

CONNECT ONLINE WITH CHERYL:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Welcome to Darlene's Book Nook, Cheryl!

Cheryl has written a guest post, so I will now turn the floor over to her!

The Magic and Hope of Christmas
By Cheryl C. Malandrinos

While searching for inspiration on what to write for this blog, I reread an article I wrote last year on the spirit of Christmas portrayed in literary works. I had only just finished when the alarm on the clothes dryer buzzed. Grumbling at the interruption, I stomped out of my office.

I barely landed on the third stair when a song I hadn’t heard in many years floated from my brain to my lips.

Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now

For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinet

Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn't snowed a single flurry
But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry

So climb down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Slice up the fruitcake
It's time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen bough

For I've grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little older

And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas now

For we need a little music
Need a little laughter
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafter

And we need a little snappy
"Happy ever after"
Need a little Christmas now

And for the first time ever, I thought about what these lyrics said. This song is filled with many symbols of Christmas. It could be mistaken for any happy holiday jingle that makes you tap your feet. But why is this person saying, “Need a little Christmas now?” He isn’t saying he wants Christmas to come. He says he needs it. Sounds like that leaner, colder, sadder, and older self is seeking the kind of magic and hope only Christmas can bring.

For me, there is magic in the first snow of the season. Ours arrived yesterday, and you better believe my girls and their friends were out playing in it. The sound of a child’s laughter is almost as magical as his saucer-like eyes and wide-opened mouth on Christmas morning. Magic can be credited for how everything gets done between November and December.

Christmas is also the season of hope. And that’s what I truly believe this person who “Needs a little Christmas now” is looking for. Hope that despite the trials and tribulations splattered among the victories and triumphs of the past twelve months, next year will be better. Hope that comes from the gathering of family and friends. Hope whispered by an angel on your shoulder. And the hope brought to a weary world by the birth of a Savior.

May you be blessed with Christmas magic and hope this year!

Thanks so much for joining us today, Cheryl, and sharing such a beautiful and inspirational Christmas message! May your family, too, be blessed this Christmas!

One lucky winner will win a paperback copy of Cheryl's Christmas picture book, Little Shepherd.

In the hills outside Bethlehem, Obed guards his first flock of sheep. When the angels appear to tell of the Savior's birth, he is hesitant to follow the others to see the new King. When Obed returns to his sheep, he realizes it is a night of miracles. Suggested age for readers: 4 - 8

 Buy Link: 

Amazon

To enter the giveaway, you must complete the Rafflecopter entry form below.

The giveaway is open to Canada/US mailing addresses and will close at 12:00 AM CST on December 8, 2012.

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