A Giveaway to Celebrate Scent of Lilacs & Grandmothers

Mom with one of her great-granddaughters

Every time I have a new book release or in the case of Scent of Lilacs re-released, I like celebrating with my reading friends. And what better way to celebrate than to give away some things?  

And what am I giving away?

Funny that you should ask since I was just about to tell you. A Grandmother’s Bible. Some of you may remember I did a giveaway with this Bible a couple of years ago, but so many people commented on really, really wanting to win it that I thought why not give another copy away? I’d been trying to think of something that would tie in with my book’s title, Scent of Lilacs. Maybe I should have hunted up a garden catalog and mailed the winner a lilac bush. That would have been neat, but then the winner might have lived in an apartment without a yard. With lilacs on my mind, I remembered that purple Grandmother’s Bible–a very lilac purple. Plus, in the story, Aunt Love is always trying to improve Jocie’s behavior by quoting Scripture to her. Not in a sweet, grandmotherly way, but verses from the Bible at any rate. 

So top prize in my new giveaway is a beautiful lilac leather-bound Bible (NIV) with all kinds of extras for grandmothers to help guide their grandchildren along the right paths in life. Two second place winners will get their choice of one of my books and a grab bag book by a different Christian author. And I haven’t forgotten those of you who say you never win. One by one, we’re changing that. If you tell me you never win when you send your entry, then I’ll enter you in a special drawing for a lilac scented candle and your choice of one of my books. To enter send me an e-mail from my website or leave a comment here. 

Since I’ve got two giveaways overlapping a bit here, you can leave that comment on this post and also scoot in at the last moment for an entry in my blog giveaway. Jocie on Hollyhill Book of the Strange will be shouting out the three winners of Scent of Lilac next Monday on her blog. Thanks to all of you who have made the month fun with your comments. Deadline for entering the new Scent of Lilacs celebration giveaway is midnight EST April 1, 2013. You must be eighteen to enter.

For fun, I invited you to tell me a grandmother story. You don’t have to in order to enter, and a bunch of you have loved telling me about your grandmothers. I haven’t gotten to read all your stories yet, but I will. Meanwhile, I have read a few to share with you tonight with the permission of the writers. So here goes.

First, can any of you top Mary’s grandmother in numbers? She says, “When my grandmother passed away I was one of 101 grandchildren and she also left 103 great-grandchildren. I had 3 more children after she passed and I have lost count of all the cousins and great cousins in the family now. We have started having a Cousin's Luncheon every month, and try to get different cousins to come each month. There are just too many of us to get all together at once.”

Now if they all showed up, they’d have to reserve the whole restaurant and make sure it was a big one. My dad used to look around the table when we all got together and tell Mom “Just look what we started,” and there were only three of us girls and seven grandchildren.

 

Grandmothers can be teachers too as they help us learn as we grow. That’s plain in this story from Jeanne.

“When I was growing up during my teenage years my mother opened a little dress shop and it seems like she was always at work.  We moved to be closer to her shop but since she worked long hours she just didn't feel like cooking when she got home and neither of my older sisters ever leaned how to cook.
My sister's were much older and I didn't like being alone at home so every day after school I would stop by my Gramma B’s little apartment for a "chat." As soon as I told her about "dinnertime" she told me not to worry that she'd teach me how to cook on her old coal stove - you know the kind - the ones that make the best cookies in the world!

During the days and weeks ahead she didn't teach me just how to cook. She also taught me that I had to learn how to do the things I needed to, as she said, "survive in this world." My Gramma taught me the important life lessons and she taught me to not only cook but to also sew. She taught me to be independent but to remember the importance of friends. Most important of all she taught me about tolerance, giving to others and helping those less fortunate. This was all taught me by a woman who had little in possessions or wealth. She taught me from the heart what was truly important in life.

Most of all she taught me to never think badly of others and I remember the day she inscribing in my bible - Never judge that ye be not judged -  and in parentheses after it "Always give everyone you meet a second chance."

I'm 65 now and I only hope that I am teaching my own grandchildren those important lessons as well and spending time in the kitchen with them teaching them how to bake.

That’s the way of grandmothers. Wisdom passed down from one generation to the next along with a lot of love. Some of those who’ve entered say they never had a grandmother, because of distance or death. But all of them have said how much they love being grandmothers now. For the last story this week, we hear from M.

When I was little my grandmother (knowing I liked chocolate) would take me grocery shopping with her. As we came to the checkout counter she would say, "I LOVE Hershey Bars but I couldn't possible eat a whole one. Would you share one with me?" Then she would open it, take one or two squares and hand me the rest. Eventually it dawned on me what she was doing. Even today when I see a Hershey Bar I think of her.  

I’m glad so many of you have loving memories to share with me. I’m looking forward to reading more of your grandmother stories in the days ahead. And if you haven’t entered, please do. Remember no story necessary to enter, but the stories are fun.

Also I’ll have a guest post on "Scattering Hope with a Smile" about Scent of Lilacs giving me "New Writing Hope." Leave a comment there on Jo's blog for another chance to win an autographed copy of Scent of Lilacs. I hope I'm not giving away so many books that nobody will have to buy one! :)

Thanks so much for reading and I hope these stories have made you remember how much you were loved by your grandmothers.