Ahhh, Christmas Eve! Time to sit down with a cocktail (or mocktail) to relax and reflect on how you possibly fit a billion tasks into this month and still made it to cross the finish line intact. A favorite cocktail of mine during this season is one that can be enjoyed by adults and children, all the while bringing the essence of christmas into your home. This recipe, as well as many more, can be found in the 2014 Quick and Easy Holiday Garden Gourmet by The Wild Rose Press Authors. Hop on over to the site and download your free copy as a holiday gift from The Wild Rose Press. 

Christmas Punch

1 bottle of cranberry juice                            1 bottle/can of pineapple juice

1 bag of cinnamon hearts (about 1 cup)     3 cinnamon sticks

Optional: vodka or rum or other alcohol of choice

Put all ingredients into the crockpot to simmer until the cinnamon hearts dissolve. Serve as is, to warm up on a cold night or may add vodka or other alcohol for the adults. Added bonus is a delicious, festive aroma for your home.

Please welcome Kim Hotzon with her release arriving in the new year (January 14, 2015). Which believe it or not, isn’t not too far away.

Hands Full of Ashes by Kim Hotzon

Olivia promises to fulfill her dying husband’s wish – to scatter his ashes around the world. Wading through grief and depression, she journeys to a remote orphanage in Uganda. Living amongst the children in their threadbare surroundings, she vows to fight for the children’s lives as she begins to fight for her own. While Olivia develops a passion for humanitarian work, the lonely director of the orphanage develops a simmering passion for her.

Just as time begins to heal the wounds of Olivia’s fragile heart, her world is shattered when she is involved in a violent encounter with an armed rebel group in the picturesque mountains of Uganda. Olivia flees to the safety of Rwanda, where she learns the truth of her husband’s unimaginable betrayal.

As Olivia hovers on the brink of an emotional collapse, her broken soul is reawakened with a startling new love – but her life is about to take another dramatic turn as she struggles to survive in a region left torn apart by civil war. It will take every ounce of Olivia’s courage to hang on to those she loves the most but it may come at a great cost to all of them.

Hands Full of Ashes will be available on Amazon January 14, 2015.

As part of The 12 Days of Christmas celebration, Kim donated a $10 Amazon card, paired with an ebook set and autographed PB of The Marker from Meggan Connors to the prize list. Click HERE for this and many more random drawings. To follow the celebration, find a new recipe, pick up a holiday decorating or shopping tip, click HERE.

About the Author

Kim grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia and from a young age she developed three passions – travelling, teaching and writing. Always fascinated by different cultures, Kim travelled to Tokyo, Japan as a young adult where she began a two year adventure teaching English.

Ultimately, Japan changed the course of her life by introducing her to the field of education. She started her own business in Japan teaching English and thanks to her students, she gradually developed her skills in teaching. While living in Osaka, she learned to adapt to a vastly different culture and to appreciate the beauty and distinct traditions of this Asian nation.

Upon her return to Canada, she decided to publish her memoir, When the Cherry Blossoms Fall: My Life as an English Teacher in Japan, detailing the experiences and challenges that she faced while living as a ‘gaijin’ in Japan. She also began a lengthy career at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, teaching young adults with learning disabilities.

In October 2012, Kim joined a group of volunteers and she embarked on a humanitarian trip to Rwanda, Africa. Working with the non-profit organizations Developing World Connections and Building Bridges Rwanda, she worked alongside local villagers, building a kitchen facility for a group of genocide survivors. Rwanda has seen tremendous growth and development in recent years, and reconciliation is a major national initiative. Her debut novel, Hands Full of Ashes, was inspired by this trip.

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