Gift Basket Giveaway

Thank you everyone who has left me their good wishes for my birthday. You have all been entered in the drawing for my Orchard Hill gift basket. Among other things that basket contains an apple scented candle, two amigurumi apples that I crocheted myself, a Christmas doily that my grandmother crocheted, and a copy of my Christmas book Nick and Noelle.

Now, I know what you're thinking. Nick and Noelle is not an Orchard Hills story. But Cora Applebaum, a well known Orchard Hill resident has endorsed it. Actually Cora told me she may be dropping into the party later today.

In the meantime, I thought I'd give you a little taste of Nick and Noelle:

“What I want,” the pastor stated “is for you two to learn how to get along. Separately you both have much to offer the church. Together – you’re a disaster waiting to happen.”

Nick and Noelle have been in competition against each other from their Christmas day births to their present adulthood. After their rivalry causes chaos at a youth group event, Pastor Thorn assigns Nick and Noelle the task of decorating the church for Christmas. Can Nick and Noelle cooperate? Will they end up killing each other – or maybe kissing each other?

Excerpt:
Nick straightened and turned toward Noelle. “I think we should do this.”

She considered, trying to estimate how much more damage they could do to the church if things went wrong.

“We can get along,” Nick sat up in his chair again, enthusiasm building on his face. “In fact…”

“In fact what?”

“I challenge you.”

Noelle covered her face with her hands and slumped down in her chair. A challenge. He was already making it into a competition. “Challenge me to what?”
He grinned at her, a vast improvement over the scowl he’d been wearing. “To get along with me, of course.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“You don’t think you can do it, do you?” he teased.

She might as well be back in grade school. Noelle had to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at Nick. “I can so.”

“Prove it.”