FALL 2022 ISSUE

Holiday News from Viola

Dear Reader:

Happy fall to all!

I want to thank you for reading and loving The Edge of Summer. I am so happy the main message in the novel connected with you. Receiving your e-mails and hearing your stories of button jars and sewing fills my heart.

As the air chills and we start going back inside preparing for fall and winter, it becomes a season of reflections and also a new chapter in our lives. Some of my favorite things to do in the fall are color tours, apple picking, baking and a long Saturday nap while watching college football. We light candles and fireplaces to hold onto the warmth and memories of summer. We also start thinking about Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season, and maybe make A Wish for Winter. (Wink, Wink)

My novels are rich in family traditions, and I am thrilled to announce the November 15th release of my new winter novel, A Wish for Winter. I have a feeling you will notice some of your own family traditions in this novel. I might even inspire you to start something new!

Enjoy the video trailer for A Wish for Winter

About A Wish for Winter

With echoes of classic Hollywood love stories like Serendipity and An Affair to Remember, Viola Shipman’s latest winter charmer following the USA TODAY  bestseller The Secret of Snow is sure to tug on heartstrings and delight readers who love books about books, missed connections and the magic of Christmas.

Despite losing her parents in a tragic accident just before her 14th Christmas, Susan Norcross has had it better than most, with loving grandparents to raise her and a gang of quirky, devoted friends to support her. Now a successful bookstore owner in a tight-knit Michigan lakeside community, Susan is facing down 40 — the same age as her mother when she died — and she can’t help but see everything she hasn’t achieved, including finding a love match of her own.

To add to the pressure, everyone in her small town believes it’s Susan’s destiny to meet and marry a man dressed as Santa, just like her mother and grandmother before her. So it seems cosmically unfair that the man she makes an instant connection with at an annual Santa Run is lost in the crowd before she can get his name.

What follows is Susan and her friends’ hilarious and heartwarming search for the mystery Santa — covering 12 months of social media snafus, authors behaving badly and dating fails — as well as a poignant look at family, friendship and what defines a well-lived and well-loved life.

Praise for A Wish for Winter
It has been receiving wonderful early reviews

A Country Living Magazine Best Christmas Book to Read This Holiday Season!

“Viola Shipman has written a captivating story for anyone whose memories run deep… This book keeps faith and hope alive!”
—New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods (Sweet Magnolias)

“I love this book — funny, perfect and wonderfully good. A not-to-be-missed delight.”
—New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery

A Wish for Winter:
Paperback Pre-order Alert

On Sunday, November 13th, one lucky winner will receive a Santa Stocking filled with $250.00 worth of goodies! We are filling a Buffalo Plaid Santa stocking with some of our Michigan favorites!

• $50.00 Gift Card to McLean & Eakin Booksellers (They ship anywhere in the US.)
• $70.00 Sterling Silver Snowflake Necklace with a freshwater pearl
• $60.00 of Viola Shipman Store Products
• Some of our "Michigan Favorites," including coffee, chocolate-covered cherries & surprises!

To be eligible and to enter*:

1. Pre-order a copy of A Wish for Winter before November 13th!
   (Paperback, e-book or audio only count)
2. E-mail gary@violashipman.com:
   • Copy of your receipt
   • Name and mailing address!

* Please note that this contest is only open to US readers.

Here are some fun photos from my past family holiday gatherings

A Fun H0liday Recipe: Pumpkin Crunch

Sometimes during the holidays, we are too busy to bake. Here is a quick and super easy pumpkin dessert we make several times a year. I’m sure it will become a dessert favorite at your home!

Pumpkin Crunch

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1 Can (15 oz.) Pumpkin
1 Can Evaporated Milk
3 Eggs
1 & ½ Cups of Sugar
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ Teaspoon Salt
½ -1 Cup Chopped Pecans (optional)
1 Cup (2 sticks) butter (Melted)
Whipped Cream (Optional)

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease bottom of 9x13 glass baking pan.

Whip eggs, then combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in large bowl. Mix well and pour into prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top of pumpkin (do not press down).

Top with pecans. Very slowly drizzle melted butter over the top of the pecan and yellow cake mix.

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool for 20-30 minutes and serve with whipped cream!

Enjoy!

Let the Holiday Shopping Begin!

If you have not been to visit the Viola Shipman Shop online or in person, I have great news for you. We have started a new line of Christmas merchandise!

It's all available now, and products can be shipped anywhere in the US. From Santas to Snowmen, we have you covered, including Hot & Cold Stainless Tumblers, Coffee Mugs, Coasters, Journals, Tea Towels, Ornaments and Wall Art.

Come do your Holiday Shopping with Viola.

This Holiday I hope you have time to curl up in a cozy spot and read A Wish for Winter. A reader once told me reading a Viola Shipman novel is like coming home. So with that, I wish you and your loved ones the warmest of holidays, from my home to yours!

Come Home to Viola Shipman!

P.S. If you are feeling down or lonely during the holidays --- or just want to celebrate them with us --- always remember you can tune in to Wine & Words with Wade on the Viola Shipman Facebook Page every Thursday at 6:30pm ET. We will be there to lift your spirits with author chats, holiday craft nights and a visit from Santa during our online Holiday Office Party.

Follow & Like Viola

PLEASE follow and like Viola on social media! You’ll get the latest news on my books, great giveaways, interviews with your favorite authors, and loads of hope and inspiration.