Merry
Friggin’ Christmas
By
K.R. Hall
I was drawn to
this book because it had Christmas in the title, I knew the author and I loved
the cover. It was when I opened it and read the dedication and the note to the
reader that it started gripping my interests further.
Then as I read,
the word cancer came into the story. This is something I have problems
dealing with and this sometimes causes me to slam books shut, turn off movies
and become agitated. It has nothing to do with what I am reading or watching or
even listening to. I have my own personal issues whereas that word point blank
ticks me off.
For some reason
I didn’t put the book down. I think it was because of the letter to the reader
and dreams. Because I too, have seen people who have passed over in my dreams.
I also used to enjoy Christmas when there was family to share it with. Once you
get older and there isn’t any more family- dealing with that specific holiday
brings up its own heart ache.
Christmas is a
time for happiness and family. Something many long for, especially if they had
it once.
I couldn’t help
but chuckle with Nick and Anne. My parents did the exact same thing, promising
not to get married right away, and joking about it. Even though it tugged on
their own heart strings. This is when this book brought back my own memories of
my parents and how they dealt with the word cancer. And the part that truly
destroys everything and everyone is timing. And sadly, there is nothing we can
do about that.
Reading about
Lainey and her family made me smile. I can see her in my head. Reading about
her makes you smile. You will enjoy her character. Having children around
always makes the world a better place.
At Thanksgiving,
I too made my children list what they were thankful for. I enjoyed that in this
book, they were made to list five things. I wish I had thought of that. I made
my kids list one. I think all families should do that. My husband and I still
do it to this day.
Another thing
that hits home with me is home repairs. I couldn’t even fathom having to get
everything done in time for the holidays. Again, this is a timing thing. And as
I read there were a lot of things I could relate to too. Especially contractors
who like to railroad women. But the hard part is doing home repairs on your
own, with you or your family member as the person repairing the home. Finances
can get in the way, as well as timing.
All in all, I
enjoyed the book, being that a lot of it hit home with me. Relating to a writer
in their work, helps you to visualize what it is you are reading. This is one
thing I like when I read.
If you want to
read a book that will grip your heart strings and even cause you to relate to
events, then this book is for you. I will not reveal much more of this book, as
it is not my goal to unearth events and ruin the book for you, the reader.
Reading this will also help you realize that although you are going through
something, so are a lot more people. And sometimes we don’t even know what
someone is going through, because they don’t make it known. That is one reason
why we need to think before we speak and stop assuming. (Just a forewarning
there that we all need reminded about.)
I give this
book five stars because it was truly gripping and enjoyable. Remembering the
Holidays is a bonus, and dealing with the family is the icing on the cake. Being
a survivor or traumatic events isn’t easy on anyone. This book helps you to see
from the outside in. Trust me, you need to read it.
Here is the interview with the author Karen Hall:
I saw the photo
of Chase posted by Furious Fotog and thought the part of the pants I could see looked
Christmassy. I thought he looked like a Christmas Grump, so I had to have it. I
hadn’t planned on writing the book then, but I had a little time between books.
This was the
fastest book I wrote. It took me just over two months.
Merry Friggin’
Christmas is dedicated to my husband. Our early relationship inspired this
story.
My husband lost
two wives to cancer around Christmas. He also lost his grandpa at Christmas.
When we had our
first Christmas together, he was not happy to decorate. I promised just to put up
a tree, nativity, and stockings. Over the years, I added more decorations. When
we moved into our new house, he was very excited to decorate. He bought me a
village, hung balls from the ceiling, hung up two extra large wreaths, and put
up outdoor decorations. I have added at least one new blow mold each year.
As I wrote this
story, I asked him about his feelings. I asked him why he had changed his mind about
liking Christmas. He said that his love for me grew more than the grief he held
onto for years.
2. Which of the
characters are your favorite?
Lanie is
adorable. I wanted to capture her pure joy and belief in the magic of the
holiday. Natalie is basically me. I haven’t lost a husband, but I took what I
knew about how my husband felt to write how she handled her loss. She is
stronger than she thinks and stronger than I am.
3. How long
have you been an author?
I published my
first book, Black Bears of Independence Corbin, in December 2017. I chose my initials,
K.R. Hall.
4. What made
you choose to be an author when you grew up?
I wanted to be
a writer in the third grade, but my dad told me I needed a job with a
guaranteed income. In 2016, I attended a reader convention in Denver, CO, and
met my favorite author, V.A. Dold.
As she signed
my paperbacks over lunch, I told her about my idea for a book. She encouraged
me to write it myself. She helped me get started and answered all my questions.
She even had her editor edit my first few books.
5. Who designed
that gorgeous cover?
I did. The only
change I made to the photo I purchased from Furious Fotog was the windows. He was
looking out at a brick building. I removed the images and added the winter
scene. I also wrote the title and my pen name on the cover.
6. What are
your hobbies?
I love to read
and bake.
7. Who is your
favorite author?
Oh my, I have
many. V. A. Dold no longer writes. I love Suzanne Wright, C. Rochelle, Lily
Mayne, Jade
Marshall, and many more.
8. Do you have
any pet peeves with reading and writing? (Example spelling errors)
I always breeze
over typos, but recently, I have noticed several books have had multiple typos per
page. I read one book where the author wrote that the character ‘dropped the
floor’ instead of ‘dropped the phone.’ I read another where the
other mixed up character names multiple times on a single page. There were only
two characters on the page.
Over the years,
I have taken photos of the errors and sent messages to the author to inform
them.
Some authors
thanked me, and others ignored me. Since 2012, I have written two 1-star
reviews and one 2-star review.
9. Are you
working on another book at this moment?
I’m currently
writing the final book in the Black Bears of Independence series. Galena has
taken a few turns that I hadn’t planned. Sometimes, my characters take me on a
wild adventure as I write.
Galena is
expected to be published in July.
10. Please
provide links to your books, websites, and social media:
Website:
krhauthor.wixsite.com/krhall
Reader Group:
www.facebook.com/groups/261658027665746/
Instagram:
www.instagram.com/krhall_author/
Twitter:
twitter.com/K_R_Hall_author
Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/author/show/15930105.K_R_Hall
BookBub:
www.bookbub.com/authors/k-r-hall
Allauthor:
http://krhall.allauthor.com/
Threads:
https://www.threads.net/@krhall_author
