by Kat Latham

When I was 23, I was dreading my first Christmas away from my family.

I’d moved to Prague, in the Czech Republic, that summer and had barely enough money to buy crappy food, much less to pay for a flight back to California. So I did what any sane girl would do: I got a foreign boyfriend whose family lived much closer.

Smarty Pants and I got together at the beginning of that October, and we’d only been together ten days when we bought a flight for me to spend Christmas with his family in England. That’s right, ten days into the relationship and I was already committing to a Christmas with a family I’d never met—a family that would become my in-laws four years later.

Since I’d never spent Christmas away from my family before, it hadn’t occurred to me how strange it would be to suffer through someone else’s traditions instead of my own. Of course, I knew different families celebrated in different ways. I’d watched enough Christmas movies to know that not every family invited its strangest relatives to spend hours drinking together and then watched National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and laughed hysterically about how familiar it was.

But damn, were my family Christmases like Chevy Chase’s. Complete with the mental grandparents and an uncle who actually referred to himself as Cousin Eddie because he knew people cringed when he showed up.

So I was struck dumb when I arrived at Smarty Pants’ childhood home and had a glass of expensive wine thrust into my hand. You see, I have absolutely no alcohol tolerance. I’d told my future father-in-law I didn’t want any, but he ignored me. So I drank out of politeness. And nervousness.

A few minutes later, I was stumbling through the kitchen calling out, “Thanks for the booze, Bryan!”

I can still remember the less-than-impressed look on his face.

Dinner—instead of being a massive pot-luck buffet of dishes that were easy and could feed 30—was a formal sit-down affair with several incredible courses, all prepared by Smarty Pants’ mum, a lovely woman who missed her calling as a gourmet chef. The food—God, the food!—was amazing, and I discovered a load of new dishes and vegetables I’d never heard of before: celeriac, rum butter, Christmas pudding—which she covered in brandy and set on fire!

But the meal lasted forEVER. In my family, no meal lasts more than 20 minutes. And that’s for a real celebration, like a wedding. We tend to hoover things up within minutes. Sitting at a table with people I was desperately trying to impress for over TWO HOURS nearly killed me. I kept excusing myself from the table so I could stand in the hallway shaking my shoulders and head like a prize fighter, whispering to myself, “You can do it. You can do it. Surely they can’t sit there much longer. There’s gotta be some kind of sports game on TV soon. The men’ll get bored and head for the couch.”

No such luck. So every 20 minutes or so, I excused myself again for another pep talk. They probably thought I had the trots.

Over the years, I started getting used to those long dinners and really enjoy my English Christmases now. This year, we’re with my family in California, so Smarty Pants will probably be enjoying a nice Christmas lasagna and being teased by my brother for using a napkin. And utensils.

Have you spent Christmas away from your family and the traditions you’re used to? How did you fare? Comment and enter to win a copy of THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS by Debbie Macomber or MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT by Fern Michaels et al. 

What would make your Christmas perfect?

For Cassie Beaumont, it’s meeting her perfect match. Cassie, at thirty-three, wants a husband and kids, and so far, nothing’s worked. Not blind dates, not the internet and certainly not leaving love to chance.

What other options are there? Well…she could hire a professional matchmaker. Simon Dodson has quite a reputation, but he’s very choosy about the clients he takes on—and very expensive. Cassie considers him a difficult, acerbic know-it-all, and she’s astonished when he accepts her as a client.

Claiming he has her perfect mate in mind, Simon assigns her three tasks to complete before she meets this paragon. Three tasks that are all about Christmas: being a charity bell-ringer, dressing up as Santa’s elf at a mall and preparing a traditional turkey dinner for her neighbors (most of whom she happens to dislike). Despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie does it all—and then she’s finally ready to meet her match.

But just like the perfect Christmas gift, he turns out to be a wonderful surprise!

~*~*~

Secret wishes, sweet surprises, and gifts straight from the heart. Delight in this season’s most joyous presents with these four sparkling tales. . .

“Making Spirits Bright” by Fern Michaels

Melanie McLaughlin desperately wants to adopt two orphaned siblings and give them a real home for Christmas. A just-for-the-holiday marriage to Bryce Landry fits her plan perfectly. . .until unexpected sparks have Melanie dreaming of forever by his side. . .

“Runaway Christmas” by Elizabeth Bass

A glass of wine, lounging in pajamas, and catching up on movies—that’s Heidi Bogue’s idea of a perfect Christmas. Until her thirteen-year-old niece makes a surprise visit—and a snowstorm turns Heidi’s café into a community refuge. Now one handsome cop is giving Heidi plenty more reasons to celebrate. . .

“Home For Christmas” by Rosalind Noonan

Jo Truman needs a replacement Santa for her gift shop’s Christmas Eve party. She’ll do whatever it takes to convince lonely soldier Sam Norwood that he’s perfect for the part…and that the season for love is always. . .

“Christmas On Cape Cod” by Nan Rossiter

Maddie Carlson would do anything for her best friend. And helping Asa Coleman babysit a rambunctious puppy Christmas Eve night is her one chance to help the troubled teacher put his past to rest. . .and give the sweetest gift of all.

Kat Latham has been reading romance for a couple of decades. With degrees in English lit and human rights, she loves stories that reflect the depth, humor and emotion of real life. When she’s not writing contemporary romance novels, she can usually be found blogging or tweeting overly personal information. She loves meeting other readers and writers online, so follow her on Twitter or check out her blog and say hello!