Skip to main content

Good Friday

The 12 Authors of Christmas - Cheryl Wyatt

Captain's Log, Supplemental

It’s here! I’m featuring 12 Authors this month, all talking about Christmas. Kicking off the tour is Cheryl Wyatt.

View the tour, including Rachel Hauck and Tricia Goyer’s authors, here.

About Cheryl:

Cheryl Wyatt's closest friends would never dream the mayhem she plots during announcements at church. An RN-turned-SAHM, joyful chaos rules her home and she delights in the stealth moments God gives her to write. She stays active in her church and in her laundry room. Cheryl is convinced that having been born on a naval base on Valentine's Day destined her to write military romance. Cheryl completed courses through Christian Writers' Guild and Longridge Writers and has been previously published in various non-fiction projects. She currently writes Inspirational Romance for Steeple Hill's Love Inspired line.

Her debut novel, A Soldier's Promise (Book 1-Wings of Refuge Series) received a Top Pick! from Romantic Times BOOKclub. It releases Jan. 2008 from Steeple Hill but can be pre ordered on most online bookstores now. A Soldier's Family, book 2 in her Wings of Refuge Series, releases March 1, 2008. Book three, (tentatively titled A Soldier's Sonnet) is set to release in April, 2009. Visit her newly refurbished Web site at: www.CherylWyatt.com.

Tell us about your first Christmas memory?

One of my earliest Christmas memories was getting to help decorate my grandma Nellie's silver tinsel tree. She had little red felt-covered deer ornaments that my sister and I loved to play with. We would sit for hours with her and watch the silver tree change all kinds of colors from a rotating light panel. Grandma still has that tree, and though the felt has long-ago worn off, the memories brush just as soft against my heart as velvet felt against little girl fingers. The little dilapidated deer ornaments still find refuge beneath her forty-year-old silver tree.

Growing up, did your family have Christmas traditions? Tell us how you incorporated them into your family life. Or, how you created new ones.

Our family tradition was to stay up until the wee morning hours playing cards with extended family and baking sugar cookies together and then decorating them with homemade icing. Not until after my husband and I had children did I realize that was a tradition his family had as well. Unfortunately, I am domestically challenged to detrimental degrees where kitchens are concerned. The only kind of cookie that escapes my slaughter is no-bake cookies...well, because it's impossible to burn them since there is no oven or stove or other heat source involved. My husband is fervently teaching my children how to bake sugar cookies though, so there may be hope of salvaging the cookie tradition after all! LOL! Me? I think I'll just stick with playing canasta.

When do you put up your tree? Describe the decorating at your house.

Um, well, I have wanted a white tree since we got married ten years ago. He has wanted a green tree. So we have both, one in the living room and one in the family room. We put our tree up a day or so after Thanksgiving. We let the girls pick out one new ornament a year. When we become empty-nesters, we plan to put the girls' ornaments in their hope chests and let them take them to their homes when they have their own families.

What is your favorite Christmas song or album? (Feel free here to talk about choirs or other musical things you participate in during Christmas.)

My absolute favorite Christmas song is The Little Drummer Boy. He has nothing to offer baby King Jesus in a materialistic sense, but he gives himself and his talent. It reminds me that God wants our hearts and not our things. The story in that song reminds me of my promise to always write as worship and how we can offer up our talents as a gift to Him.

Relive your childhood Christmas mornings for us.

Utter chaos and a roomful of squeals of glee. LOL! My parents sacrificed SO much to make Christmas nice for us. They worked so hard to make that day extraordinarily special. Though we didn't get many gifts throughout the year, I always remembered seeing exactly the thing I'd most longed for under that tree on Christmas morning.

Tell us about your Christmas setting--do you have a white Christmas?

In Southern Illinois, we rarely have a white Christmas…but I'd love it if we did. By Christmas, most of the leaves have fallen off trees, so the landscape is pretty bereft of color other than lights. We go to a place called Candy Cane Lane, where several large neighborhoods, nearly the entire town now, have their homes elaborately decorated. It takes a few hours to drive through it, but it feels like a winter wonderland, there is so much to see.

It's Christmas Eve… Describe your day and evening.

Christmas Eve is usually very relaxing and fun. We are usually at my parents' or my husbands' parents' house with a house full of extended family. We usually play games and laugh a lot. We usually let the children open one present each, then try to give them toxic doses of turkey so they will actually fall asleep before the sun rises. LOL!

Confession time. Shop on line or at the mall?

Equally both. LOL! I do half and half. I'm leaning more toward online though, unless it's clothing items.

Christmas grows more and more commercial every year. Setting thebhustle and bustle aside, what does Christmas really mean to you?

Christmas is a baffling time for me because I start introspecting (there's a "writerly word for ya!") about how the king of Heaven came to earth in the most humble of circumstances. It puts things in perspective for me and makes me not care that some parts of my home (like the shingles we're replacing this week thanks to a leaky room that caused a monsoon in the game room) aren't perfect. If an animal stable filled with stale hay was good enough for Him, then my fixer-upper is good enough for me. Christmas symbolizes exactly what the Bible says…"Unto you this day a Savior is born…."

It's Christmas day… what's for dinner? Do you make cookies or other traditional foods?

I don't have to cook much…as I said, I offer to help but I've pretty much been banned from all kitchens within a thousand mile radius. So I deemed myself the official taste tester. We do turkey and ham and homemade stuffing. Nothing comes out of a box except the crackers we crumble into it. And sage..lots and lots of sage. When I smell sage, it reminds me of Christmas.

Tell us about your favorite Christmas memory.

My favorite Christmas memory was when we had moved to Illinois. Lots of my extended family, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmothers, etc. surprised us by driving in from New Mexico and Oklahoma to spend Christmas with us. I'll never forget that day and the moment we opened the door and saw them standing there. My parents and siblings has moped around for days, tearful before this because our families had always spent Christmases together prior to everyone moving away due to the collapse of the uranium economy in Grants, New Mexico where we all lived close together for a couple of decades.

What are your plans for this season?

This year we will spend Christmas with my parents since we spent Thanksgiving and Easter at his mom's. Each year we switch off. I'm going to enjoy my family and thank God for another year with everyone alive and well and together.

Any final thoughts on Christmas?

I think I've just about covered it. LOL! If anyone wants to do some after-Christmas shopping, check your local Wal Mart shelves for A Soldier's Promise. LOL! Though it's set to release Jan 1, 2008, I've seen the next month's books on shelves as early as the 23rd of the previous month.

I pray for each person reading this, for you to have a renewed understanding of the gift of God's abiding love, and that you are renewed with peace and hope if not all of your loved ones can be with you this season. I pray God blesses you with a strong sense of His presence.

Camy here: Thanks for sharing, Cheryl! (Hey guys, remember I talked about that Mountain Dew apple dumpling recipe? It’s in the back of A Soldier’s Promise, so if you make the recipe, come back here and tell me what you thought of it! Oh, and warning—it was a bit sweet for me, so I halved the sugar.)

Comments

Ausjenny said…
cool interview. I think im also the one who would be banned from the kitchen when meats etc are being cooked as i dont know how to do them well. cookies i do like baking but i tend to eat the dough.
thanks for sharing your christmas memories. I just put our tree up tonight. Mum sure will be shocked in the morning to find a new tree.
Cheryl Wyatt said…
Ausejenny...sounds like we have lots in common. I love the dough TOO! But I won't let my children eat it because of the raw eggs in it. So I have to sneak bites when they're not looking. (Laughing here.) Thanks for stopping by with your thoughts.

Merry Christmas to you! Let us know what your mum thought of the tree.

Hugs,

Cheryl
PatriciaW said…
The Little Drummer Boy is my favorite too! And I hate that they very rarely air the Rankin/Bass animated special of the same title anymore. Because that too was my favorite of them all.
Danica Favorite said…
This was a very nice insight into you Squirly!
Cheryl Wyatt said…
Cool, Patricia! I have heard so many versions of the song and I love that they play it often on the radio.

Thanks, Dream! Hugs!

Squirly
Ausjenny said…
Cheryl,
the cookies/biscuits i make dont have egg so that helps and i dont have kids so all the more for me. i hope to make some tomorrow.
Mum was surprised she didn't realize to begin with she knew something was different but then she realized.
shes impressed cos its more real than our old one. I am putting the icicles on tonight boy they take awhile so am having a break.
Anonymous said…
Let me think, when was the last time an interview made me tear up?

Great job, girls.

I LOVE this book (and it's author, lol).

I have a confession, when I critted this book and saw the recipe, I wrote it down and tried it that night. My guys LOVED it. Then I too, halved the sugar and took it to a church fellowship. They raved over it.

Thank you for sharing your Christmas memories with us, Cheryl.

Thank you for sharing your friends with us, Camy.
Cheryl Wyatt said…
Glad your mum liked the tree, ausjenny! How fun!

Pammer, awww! Thanks for stopping by. Glad your boys liked the dumplings. They are so sweet to begin with...the boys I mean. LOL!

Hugs,

Squirly
Missy Tippens said…
Great interview, Cheryl. I love The Little Drummer Boy, too! I cry every time I hear it, though. :)

Missy
Cheryl Wyatt said…
Me too, Missy!

Hugs,

Cheryl

Popular Posts

Bethany House Publishers Cover Survey Invitation

Captain's Log, Supplemental I just got this from Bethany House Publishers: Hello Reader, We at Bethany House Publishers appreciate our readers opinions about the books we publish. Occasionally, we seek your input about upcoming products. Currently, we are conducting a survey about the cover image for an upcoming novel. For your time, we are offering a giveaway in conjunction with this survey. You will be able to choose from ten recent Bethany House novels, and there will be ten winners. Winners will be notified within two weeks. Click here to take the survey, which should take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation, and feel free to forward this email on to your friends or link the survey on your website. The survey will be available through Monday, September 17. Thanks for your time and your opinions. We value your feedback. Sincerely, Jim Hart Internet Marketing Manager Bethany House Publishers

Narrow Escape contest for January!

I’m so excited because my January Love Inspired Suspense, Narrow Escape , is now available! Here’s the back cover blurb: KIDNAPPED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT Arissa Tiong and her three-year-old niece are snatched off the street by members of a notorious drug gang. Having lost her police officer brother to a drug bust gone bad, Arissa knows the danger she's in. But she has no idea why they want her. Desperate to protect the little girl, Arissa escapes and runs straight to Nathan Fischer. She knows the handsome, weary former narcotics cop hasn't told her everything about the night that ended her brother's life and Nathan's career. But he's all that stands between her and dangerous thugs who are after something she doesn't even know she has. This is the 4th book in my Sonoma series , but each book is stand-alone. The hero is Nathan Fischer, who had a minor role in the 3rd book, Stalker in the Shadows . To celebrate, I’m giving away 10 copies of Narrow Escape ! Her

I sold to Steeple Hill!

Captain's Log, Supplemental Remember that romantic suspense proposal I blogged about earlier? Well, it just sold to Steeple Hill’s Love Inspired Suspense line! I am so jazzed! I am beyond jazzed! The story’s working title is Sinister Spa The story's title is Deadly Intent and here’s a blurb (but it’s probably not what will appear on the back of the book): Massage therapist Naomi Grant could use a massage herself. With her father at home recovering from a stroke, Naomi is put in charge of the family’s elite day spa in Sonoma county. The new responsibilities sit awkwardly on her shoulders, and things only get worse when handsome Dr. Devon Knightley breezes into the spa, demanding to see one of the female clients. And the woman is found dead in Naomi’s massage room. Suddenly, Naomi is a suspect and her family’s spa is shut down. How could God let this awful thing happen? Devon only needed to see his ex-wife about a family necklace she still hadn’t returned, but when she dies and

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

Year of the Dog serial novel

About Year of the Dog : A month or two ago, I remembered an old manuscript I had completed but which hadn’t sold. It was a contemporary romance meant for Zondervan, titled Year of the Dog . The book had gone into the pipeline and I even got another title ( Bad Dog ) and a cover for it, but eventually my editor at the time decided she didn’t want to publish it, for various reasons. She instead requested a romantic suspense, and so I cannibalized some of the characters from Year of the Dog and thrust them into the next book I wrote, which was Protection for Hire . Honestly, I didn’t take a lot from Year of the Dog to put in Protection for Hire , aside from character names and a few relationship ties. I was originally thinking I’d post Year of the Dog as-is on my blog as a free read, but then it occurred to me that I could revamp it into a romantic suspense and change the setting to Hawaii. It would work out perfectly as (yet another) prequel to the Warubozu series and introduc

Welcome Spring with these Christian/sweet and wholesome books in Kindle Unlimited!

I’m participating in this promo. Click on the graphic to check out all the Christian romance books available and stuff your eBook reader! Welcome Spring with these Christian/sweet and wholesome books in Kindle Unlimited!

I GOT A CONTRACT!

Captain’s Log, Stardate 03.29.2006 I had a wonderfully funny blog post planned for today, but I got sidetracked by some news yesterday! Zondervan has offered me a three-book contract on my Asian chick-lit series ! I’m still stunned by everything that’s happened. The series is actually a 4-book projected Asian chick-lit series about four cousins who fall under the infamous family title "Oldest Single Female Cousin," and their ruthless, wealthy grandma applies pressure on each of them to improve their lack of love interests. I think the first book is tentatively scheduled to be released in August 2007. The blurb on the series is on my website here . Brandilyn Collins posted to the ACFW loop about my writing journey, and Tamara Cooper asked that I share it. And since you all know how much I like to talk , here it is. My writing journey: Like most writers, I have wanted to write since I was very young. (In high school, I wrote a fantasy novel that will never see the light of day

Sweet March Freebies

Sign up for these authors’ newsletters and get free books! Click on the graphic to check out all the free books. You might find a new favorite author! Sweet March Freebies

New book idea a la Captain Caffeine

Captain's Log, Stardate 04.14.2009 So my husband, Captain Caffeine, had lunch with a few friends a few days ago. And they asked about my writing, and if I’d been on Oprah yet. (Yeah, right) They then discussed NYT bestselling books, and why can’t Camy write a NYT bestseller. (Sure, let me just open a vein over a blank page and it’ll come right out.) So Captain Caffeine came home with ideas for my new NYT bestselling novel. First it starts with vampires, because Twilight is so hot. But not just any vampires. This one’s an Amish vampire. And he’s not just an Amish vampire, he’s a cop in disguise, infiltrating the Amish community to protect a witness. (Hmm, that storyline sounds familiar ...) But wait! There’s more! To add more conflict and stick with my brand of Asian fiction, we introduce the Tibetan monk! Who joins the Amish community to get away from the pressures of monkhood. But in reality, he’s protecting the Chinese princess on the run, trying to escape from her father’s Hong