Guest Post ~ Author Stacey Agdern

I recently met Author Stacey Agdern at a book club that I recently joined.  It's a group of readers, some authors, who get together once a month and talk books.  Usually an author joins us to talk about their books.  There's food, drinks, and books.  Nothing is better!

Anyways, the first time I went to book club I was super nervous.  Going to meet a group of girls who have already created their own bonds, it was normal for me to feel this way.  As the night went on, I became much more comfortable with the group of girls who welcomed me into their club,  I remember towards the end of the night speaking with Stacey.  She was telling me how she was having a release coming up, Burning Bright: Four Chanukah Love Stories.  I remember talking to her and telling her that I would love to help her with her release in any way I can.  Stacey is a lovely person, super nice and extremely genuine.  I loved talking to her, and love being able to feature her on our blog.  Enjoy Stacey's guest post :)

My Mother’s Birthday

My family gets together on December 25^th.  We always have.  There’s a various collection of relatives, a festive meal and maybe a movie.  We gather together, exchange presents and celebrate.  But we don’t celebrate Christmas.

So what are we doing, exactly? 

My mother’s parents, Alfred and Harriet Kuflik (who I grew up knowing as Nanny and Poppy), were married on December 25^th.  My mother, Jane, whose voracious romance reading habits are a big part of the reason I read romance, was born on December 23.  The traditional ‘Chinese Food’ on December 25^th gathering started as a way to celebrate my grandparent’s anniversary, getting the grandchildren together in one place.  It also allowed my mother to celebrate her birthday with her family.

In later years, our gathering became a memoriam to my grandparents, where we remembered their boisterous lives and happy marriage.  The Chinese food had become a tradition, and also my mother’s favorite way of celebrating her birthday.  We added friends who needed somewhere to go on Christmas day that didn’t involve celebrating Christmas.  As a result, what started as a small celebration became a boisterous gathering at our favorite Chinese restaurant, preceded by a movie that all of us could agree on (or at least two movies that got out around the same time).

As the years passed, and people’s schedules got busier, we added another element to the celebration.  Presents.  My mother always received birthday presents, but as the December 25^th date was a guaranteed moment where people would get together, belated Chanukah gifts were exchanged. 

This year’s gathering will be small, family in the house, watching a movie on dvd, special Chinese takeout as my mother requested.  It will be my 1 year old nephew’s first true introduction to the family tradition. 

So whatever you’re doing, whether it’s with family or friends, celebrating Christmas or not, may your December 25^th be bright and full of love.

Stacey Agdern

Bio:  

Stacey Agdern is an award winning former bookseller who has reviewed romance novels in multiple formats and given talks about various aspects of the romance genre.  She is also a proud romance writer.  She’s a member of both LIRW and RWA NYC.  She lives in New York, not far from her favorite hockey team’s practice facility

Stacey Agdern's Books

B&N : http://bit.ly/1YAJNly

Amazon : http://amzn.to/1QZ0H7r

Follow Stacey:

@nystacey on Twitter

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/staceyaagdern