One of the things I love best about the Christmas season is music. I love Christmas carols, of course, but also just music in general. I first met Mr. Dare at Christmastime, while I was working overseas and experiencing my first hot, humid Christmas in a tropical country. When you’re far away from home, familiar holiday traditions take on a whole new level of importance. An American friend of mine conjured up a box of Stove-Top stuffing, and it was like a Christmas miracle.
Anyway, I “met” Mr. Dare as I was rehearsing a song for a Christmas program. Literally, right in the middle of the chorus. Someone was strumming a guitar, and there I was singing through “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” (yes, seriously. I couldn’t make this up.) and right then, Mr. Dare walked through the door. We locked gazes for one of those brief-yet-unending moments we romance writers are so fond of. Then he kept on walking, and I kept on rehearsing, and that was pretty much that. J
Still, there was a little something there. Not love at first sight, but a spark of interest. In that first wordless interchange, we knew we both loved music. As good a place as any for a romance to start, right? A few days later, we went to a karaoke bar with a big group. He and I ended up singing “Build Me Up Buttercup” (badly) as a duet. A little over a year later, we were singing it (badly) at our wedding reception.
So as a couple, “our songs” are Christmas carols and cheesy karaoke tunes—songs that are not especially romantic to most, probably. But they’re romantic to us. And during the month of December, I always seem to have “Build Me Up Buttercup” running through my head, along with “Silver Bells” and “Frosty the Snowman” and all the others.
Tell me about your favorite holiday music. Do you have any especially funny or romantic musical memories? Comment, and you could win a present! What kind of present, you ask? How does that 12 days song go again?On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…
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Five golden rings!
Four calling birds
Three nights with a scoundrel,
Two…
Okay, I know. It’s not three nights with a scoundrel, it’s three French hens. But really, which would you rather have? Comment today, and you could win a signed copy of my latest release, Three Nights with a Scoundrel.
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~*~Giveaway Details~*~
Tessa Dare has generously offered to giveaway a signed copy of her latest release, 'Three Nights With A Scoundrel', to one (1) lucky commenter. Follow the guidelines below and comment for your chance to win! The giveaway will end on Thursday, December 23rd, 2010 at 11:59:00 PM. The winner will be announced on Christmas Eve and contacted via email shortly after.
Giveaway Guidelines: To be entered in the giveaway all you have to do is leave a comment with either an answer to Tessa's question or a question of your own!
*Make sure to include your email address (NO EMAIL= INVALID ENTRY)
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My fave Christmas song is 'Mary's Boy Child' by Boney M!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI met my now husband at a friends house while trying to decide whether or not to go to a Red Hot Chilly Peppers concert. I couldnt make up my mind so he bought the ticket for my so I had to go...with him of course!!!!!
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cheers
Cath
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Hi Tessa! What an awesome story! My hubby and I had a similar story in that within moments, we both knew we loved Renaissance art. And the holiday (mine is Halloween). :D
ReplyDeleteI have lots of favorite carols during the holidays (I blogged about it today, even), so to list them would take a long time.
I already have the book, so you don't have to enter me in the contest. But if any of you are reading who may not have read her books, Tessa inspires fan-girl loyalty with her stories. And Julian is yummy and delicious--enough to warm three nights and more. *grin*
My favourite christmas song is last christmas by Wham!
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AHH! I would LOVE to read this! I loved your first books and I haven't read this yet!
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My favorite Christmas song is the Little Drummer Boy! It makes me cry everytime I hear it! I knew my husband cause we went to grade school and HS together but did not talk to each really till after graduation. We were at a mutal friends party and he asked me if I wanted to sit in his trans-am and listen to music! Sounds like a bad teenage movie! LOL! I'm sure he really wanted to listen to music. (snicker) I said no but we went out the next week and we have been together for many many years! I'm not sure how romantic that is but it started over music!
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I love anything by Trans Siberian Orchestra! My funny musical memory is from my wedding day! My husband can sing "The Humpty Dance" just like Digital Underground. His friends wanted him to sing it and finally pressured him into it. It was such a hit at our wedding that he was asked to do it at our friends weddings. Not the most romantic serenade, but we're a family of jokesters so everyone expects something crazy from us.
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I love Christmas music. My favorite song changes often since I like so many. Right now one of my favorites is It's the most wonderful time of the year-shift remix by Andy Williams. I love this version of the song.
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Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for having me today.
ReplyDeleteCath, isn't it funny how music and romance are so often intertwined? But no one would need to ask me twice if I wanted to go to a RHCP concert. :) Um, yes. Please.
Noelle, I am dying to know how Renaissance art and Halloween intersected for you and your hubby! LOL
Elizabeth, thanks for the Wham! flashback! I remember being devastated when they broke up. I think I was 9 or 10. :)
Kristi, thanks so much for reading the first books! I hope you like this one.
Johanna, I love your story about the Trans-Am! Really, did he need the music excuse? I mean, "Wanna sit in my Trans-Am?" is a pretty sweet pickup line in and of itself. And The Little Drummer Boy *is* a tearjerker, isn't it? Also, that Elvis "In the Ghetto" song.
Cindy, the Humpty Dance?? That. Is. Awesome. I'm guessing this may have been the days before YouTube, sadly? I would have loved to see the video. :)
Danielle, I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite Christmas song, too. There are so many good ones!
When I was a kid, my class would sing Christmas carols at the local bank (and they'd give us cookies and milk). Looking back, I was amused to realize that the songs were taught to us by our Jewish teachers and I sang them with my Jewish friends. It continued on through high school. No one thought it ironic to have Jewish kids sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Now, my cousin's Jewish hubby won't let me sing Christmas carols to the kids. :( Well, maybe "Winter Wonderland" or "Jingle Bells" but certainly not "Silent Night". Too bad. I love singing Christmas carols.
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I don't listen to holiday music much because I don't actually celebrate Christmas, but I do have a funny musical association. Years back, I used to attend a gym that was too cheap to pay for a live aerobics teacher (this was back during the high impact aerobics craze in the 1980's). Instead of a live teacher, they ran a tape in the aerobics room three days per week at 5:30 PM. I attended this "class" for about 6 mos and by the end of that time, every time one of the songs on the tape came on the radio, I suffered an almost irresistible urge to start kicking, lunging and dropping down to do sit-ups.
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I absolutely love Christmas music and could play it year-round, but I'm afraid it might lose some of it's "magic" if I did that. I don't have a favorite song, but I do love holiday instrumentals..especially piano and harp.
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My fave Christmas music is a little off price cd I picked up at an after Christmas sale. It is titled WINTERLUDE and is all piano and so soft with holiday tunes that make sitting on the sofa curled up with a glass of wine, cuddled with my honey, enjoying the sparkle of the Christmas tree oh so romantic.
ReplyDeleteTessa, I love your books! More, please!
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I have Christmas music playing continuously during the month of December. I love upbeat songs like Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives and many of the songs sung by Andy Williams. My three favorite songs, however, are Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant, Christmas Canon by the Trans Siberian Orchestra, and any version of The Little Drummer Boy. All three of those songs are so beautiful.
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ReplyDeletei just love Bill Nighy as Billy Mack singing Christmas is All Around (me and my friends always sing it when we have our pre-christmas get together)
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SILVER BELLS. WHITE CHRISTMAS.SLEIGH RIDE.WINTER WONDERLAND.THECHRISTMAS SONG(CHESTNUTS ROASTING) ....don't you just love Christmas songs! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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