Hello !

If you've opened this email—which I guess you have since you're reading this sentence!—thank you!

This past week, my inbox has been nutso with Black Friday deals and "watch for my next email that will have my Black Friday deal" messages. 🙄

You will not find a BF deal in this email, but, allow me to pig pile on the hype and let's call the free books from my rom com author friends ... Sexy Sunday deals!

American Thanksgiving

If you live in the USA, I bet you read that headline and were like, "It's just plain Thanksgiving, Danika. Silly lady."

But being Canadian, we have to differentiate since I celebrated Thanksgiving on October 9. Thanksgiving in Canada is nothing like it is in the States. I've celebrated both many, many times since my mom hails from Massachusetts and over twenty years ago my sister exercised her right to American citizenship, left home and never came back. 😟

The upside of her living in Washington state, just a few hours south of British Columbia, is that I've experienced the pain of Thanksgiving overeating more than once.

But my most memorable American Thanksgiving was in 2013.

November 23, 2013

It was a Saturday, so not technically Thanksgiving Day, but that was the night we had our T'giving dinner. And it was the most special Thanksgiving I have ever, or will ever, have.

It was the first time in over twenty years that my whole (small) family was together since my brother, Derek, had been living in Costa Rica, my folks in Quebec, me in BC, and Kim in Washington. We never seemed to be able to find a time to all be in one place. But that year the magic happened—parents, siblings, nephews/grandsons all together for the first time in ... ever, I think.

Not only that, my mom's only brother, whom she hadn't seen in over thirty years, came up from Texas for the weekend.

Plans and spontaneity

Derek, being a former chef who was skilled with being the solo guy in the kitchen for high end retreats and conferences, took over all the food prep. And although there were only ten of us, he cooked a ham, a turkey, two kinds of potatoes, yams, Brussel sprouts, and more veg. Of course there was stuffing and gravy.

And pies... the man went mad with pies since he asked what we all wanted and then made every single kind that would bring even one person joy. Pumpkin, apple, cherry, mincemeat ... it was insane.

But that was all the planned part. The spontaneous part was a decision Dave and I made on the Thursday before heading down to Washington for the Saturday day of gratitude.

Ever since I was little, Dad used to say that one day he wanted to be the officiant at a wedding. I think he'd planned to actually get the piece of paper to make it legal. But just for fun.

Dave and I, both divorced, had been living together with our boys for five years and had no plans to get married. But Dad's timeline for fulfilling bucket list items had been cut short by about twenty years. If he was going to make this goal happen, it was going to have to be soon. So Dave and I decided to help him fulfill that dream.

Mom and I went to the local thrift store and it was clear that the Universe approved of this idea since I found the most perfect wedding dress for $20. Not only did it fit perfectly, it was exactly the style I'd have chosen if I'd been planning a "proper" wedding.

November 22, 1963

Americans will know this date. The day that JFK was shot and died.

It was also the day of Mom and Dad's first date. They were in a bar together in New Hampshire when they heard the news.

November 23, 2013 was just one day after the fiftieth anniversary of their first date. They were married less than a year later, in October 1964. But with Dad's diagnosis, we all knew they wouldn't celebrate their actual fiftieth anniversary so, after Dad officiated Dave's and my commitment ceremony with our whole family in attendance, Mom and Dad recommitted their vows.

The photos are fuzzy since the 12-year-old who took them didn't use a flash, but these are a few shots from the most meaningful American Thanksgiving I have ever, or will ever celebrate.

If you've read Third Party: Merry with the Millionaire, the vows that Josh and Paige make on their spontaneous New Year's Eve wedding are the same vows I wrote for Dave and I and that Mom and Dad then used to recommit, months before he died.

And now, some Sexy Sunday deals!

Two new releases

Grumpy Little Christmas by Marika Ray

A country music diva discovers the holiday spirit thanks to a grinchy ski lodge owner and his adorable daughter.

Get this brand new release today!

You're So Basic by Angela Casella

It’s harder to run from love when you’re living with it.

Fans of forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine romantic comedies will devour this all-new fall vibes standalone romance by bestselling author Angela Casella!

Get this new release today!

Three free books

If you're celebrating American Thanksgiving (I can't help myself!) on Thursday, I wish you a delightful meal with people you love.

I might actually celebrate in my own way since Thursday will be the tenth anniversary of my not quite legal, but very much real commitment to Dave.

Perhaps I'll give him the night off from cooking, take him out for dinner and raise a glass of gratitude to him for being willing to do a silly thing, like get married on no notice to give my dad a few moments of dream fulfillment.

Because whether or not the government considers us married, the most important people in our lives do. And that's all I really care about.

Happy day of gratitude to you,

xo,

Danika