Frugal Plus

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Pocket, October 2009
Trade Paperback, 336 pages
ISBN-10: 1439158703
ISBN-13: 9781439158708

The best holiday traditions are meant to be broken…

It’s only December 1, and Vanessa Clayton has been dreading Christmas since she spotted tinseled trees at her local mall in September. Thankfully, she and her husband, JT, can’t afford to drag their twin boys across the country to New England for the annual celebration at her stuffy sister-in-law Patience’s home. Not that Vanessa has prepared a proper Christmas for her family in years, and she has less time than ever since she agreed to consult on the script of a local play. Her older sister, Thea, is no help — she’d rather make art and flirt with surfers than babysit her nine-year-old nephews. Then Patience drops a holiday stress bomb: Her family will come to California instead.

In between “baking” cinnamon rolls for the school potluck and overbearing Patience testing her patience, Vanessa can’t stop thinking about the difficult but charming playwright at work. Meanwhile, Patience’s teenage daughter, Libby, obsesses over a college boy she has met by the pool, and Thea searches desperately for the meaning of Christmas — for her latest installation, of course. As their holiday plans go comically awry, these four women discover the true spirit of the season is hidden in every festive surprise.

Click here to take a Sneak Peek at the First Chapter!

How many of us can relate to the stress incurred over the Holidays?! Between teenager’s normal hormonal issues, and getting all the things lined up for school plays, parties, and teacher gifts, it can make you crazy! Then comes the Family and all of their “baggage” both literally and figuratively. Over The Holidays gives us a chance to sit back and giggle over others Holiday mishaps.

All of these colorful characters give us the stuff of ordinary life.. marriage, motherhood, and work. I loved this quote..

And because regular life can be tedious, it’s a miracle that all of us aren’t running away every day of the year!

Everyone experiences a complicated mixture of of feelings about Christmas and the Holiday gift-giving season. These characters are no different. However, we all strive to find meaningful traditions and the true spirit of the season! You will be pleasantly pleased with the way things work themselves out throughout this book.

I highly recommend reading this book soon, as the Holidays are fast approaching, and we all need a lil’ comical relief before that first knock comes at the door

About the Author… Click on Sandra’s photo to learn more…

Sandra Harper is the author of the play, Magpie’s Tea Room, which enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles at The Ventura Court Theatre. She has written a cooking column, “The California Cook” for the newspaper, Skirt. A script reader for Pathe Studios and Springcreek Productions, she also wrote and produced fashion and rock videos for Elvis Costello, Chaka Khan and Vidal Sassoon, amonf others. Ms. Harper recieved her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Southern California and has completed a children’s book, The Witches Club.