Samhain Publishing Ltd Weblog

Hanging on to the holidays

November 22nd is just another day for me. Send the kids off to school and wave hubby out the door. See, I live in Tokyo and Thanksgiving is simply a nostalgic memory. One of the challenges of living overseas is trying to keep the holidays alive and teaching my children the importance of them. When they were small we did Thanksgiving crafts and talked about the holiday. But they’ve never experienced a real honest-to-goodness American Thanksgiving. (Keep in mind I don’t think a turkey would fit in my tiny excuse of an oven.)

There’s no one way to describe it, is there? For different people it can mean many things. I remember the sense of family and friendship. The wonderful smells that filled the house and the mouth-watering pies lined up, just waiting to be eaten. And I remember stuffing myself on stuffing and everything else.

There is one aspect of Thanksgiving I continue to keep alive and I think is perhaps most important. I talk with my children about the things we should be grateful for in our lives. We usually start with our family and expand outwards.

So, while I have this forum I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you, both writers and readers, for your encouragement and support to all in this industry.

Most especially, I would like to thank my writing partner Sasha. Yes, Gabriella Hewitt is the pen name of two women. A few years ago we met on a website. Over time we wrote some fan fiction together and then one day, an exercise in writing turned into a requested mansucript by an editor. The rest they say is history.

I’m living my dream, which is the most one can ask for in a lifetime.

I truly have a lot to be grateful for.

Happy Holidays everyone. May they be safe, blessed and filled with the love and laughter of friends and family.