{"id":958,"date":"2008-12-22T15:56:06","date_gmt":"2008-12-22T20:56:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=958"},"modified":"2008-12-22T15:56:06","modified_gmt":"2008-12-22T20:56:06","slug":"the-winter-of-candy-canes-by-debbie-viguie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=958","title":{"rendered":"The Winter of Candy Canes by Debbie Viguie"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/bp2.blogger.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/SAad94Trj7I\/AAAAAAAAArA\/Yn05_E4V0fY\/s1600-h\/wild+card.jpg\"><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5190009307003588530\" style=\"FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center\" src=\"http:\/\/bp2.blogger.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/SAad94Trj7I\/AAAAAAAAArA\/Yn05_E4V0fY\/s200\/wild+card.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" width=\"82\" height=\"116\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It is time to play a <span style=\"color: #006600;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #990000;\">Wild Card<\/span>!<\/strong> <\/span>Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a <a href=\"http:\/\/firstwildcardtours.blogspot.com\/\">FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a>. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his\/her book&#8217;s FIRST chapter!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #cc0000;\"><em>You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<div><strong>Today&#8217;s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 180%; color: #cc0000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.debbieviguie.com\/archive\/index.html\">Debbie Vigui\u00e9 <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 180%; color: #cc0000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 100%; color: #cc0000;\">and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 180%; color: #cc0000;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0310717523\">The Winter of Candy Canes<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">Zondervan (October 1, 2008)<\/p>\n<div><strong><span style=\"font-size: 130%; color: #333399;\"><span style=\"color: #cc0000;\">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/SPwC4-0mtiI\/AAAAAAAABbY\/Fq47qapZiIE\/s1600-h\/viguied.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259081642821465634\" style=\"float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;\" src=\"http:\/\/4.bp.blogspot.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/SPwC4-0mtiI\/AAAAAAAABbY\/Fq47qapZiIE\/s200\/viguied.jpg\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>Debbie Vigui\u00e9 has been writing for most of her life. She has experimented with poetry and nonfiction, but her true passion lies in writing novels.<\/p>\n<p>She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from UC Davis. While at Davis she met her husband, Scott, at auditions for a play. It was love at first sight.<\/p>\n<p>Debbie and Scott now live on the island of Kauai. When Debbie is not writing and Scott has time off they love to indulge their passion for theme parks.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.zondervan.com\/Cultures\/en-US\/Search\/Search.htm?SC=%22Sweet+Seasons+Novel%2c+A%22\">The Sweet Seasons Novels<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/031071558X\">The Summer of Cotton Candy<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0310715598\">The Fall of Candy Corn <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0310717523\">The Winter of Candy Canes<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0310717531\">The Spring of Candy Apples<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Visit the author&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.debbieviguie.com\/archive\/index.html\">website<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Product Details:<\/p>\n<p>List Price: $ 9.99<br \/>\nReading level: Young Adult<br \/>\nPaperback: 208 pages<br \/>\nPublisher: Zondervan (October 1, 2008)<br \/>\nLanguage: English<br \/>\nISBN-10: 0310717523<br \/>\nISBN-13: 978-0310717522<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #cc0000;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size:180%;\">AND NOW&#8230;THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/SUsEpQXPOYI\/AAAAAAAACOE\/i2kv2lUhWA8\/s1600-h\/winter+of+candy+canes\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281320094835620226\" style=\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;\" src=\"http:\/\/2.bp.blogspot.com\/_cESuxv-WNX8\/SUsEpQXPOYI\/AAAAAAAACOE\/i2kv2lUhWA8\/s200\/winter+of+candy+canes\" border=\"0\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div style=\"overflow: auto; height: 307px;\">Candace Thompson was once again eye-to-eye with Lloyd Peterson, hiring manager for The Zone theme park. This time, though, she felt far more confident. She had already spent her summer working as a cotton candy vendor, and she had worked one of the mazes for the annual Halloween event. She had even saved the park from saboteurs.<\/p>\n<p>Now she was back, and this time she was interviewing for a job working the Christmas events at the park. Surely after everything she had done for the Scare event, she had nothing to worry about. She tucked a strand of red hair back behind her ear as she gazed intently at the man across from her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo you want to work Holly Daze?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<p>She nodded. Christmas at The Zone was a big deal, and the park began its official celebrations the day after Thanksgiving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou keep hiring on for short bursts of time and then leaving. Do you have some sort of problem committing to things?\u201d he asked, staring hard at her.<\/p>\n<p>She was stunned, but answered, \u201cI don\u2019t have any problem with commitment. I signed on to do specific things, and the jobs ended. That\u2019s not my fault. I didn\u2019t quit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, you plan on making a habit of this?\u201d he demanded. \u201cAre you going to show up here again in a -couple of months expecting me to give you some kind of job for spring break?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, I?\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know your type,\u201d he said, standing up abruptly. \u201cYou\u2019re just a party girl. No commitments .?.?. no cares .?.?. just grab some quick cash and get out. You think you can handle Holly Daze? Well, you can\u2019t! You\u2019re weak and a quitter. You\u2019re going to bail on me as soon as your school vacation starts, and then what? Well, let me tell you, missy. You aren\u2019t wanted here. So just pack your bags and get out!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By the end of his tirade, he was shouting, eyes bulging behind his glasses and tie swinging wildly as he shook his finger under her nose. Candace recoiled, sure that he had finally flipped out. I\u2019m going to end up as a headline: Girl Murdered by Stressed-Out Recruiter, she thought wildly. Well, I\u2019m not going down without a fight! She jumped to her feet and put some distance between her and the wildly wagging finger.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou need to calm down!\u201d she said, projecting her voice like her drama teacher had taught her. Her voice seemed to boom in the tiny office. \u201cPull yourself together. You\u2019re a representative of this theme park, and there is no call to insult me. Furthermore, I\u2019m not a quitter. I\u2019ll work for the entire Christmas season. Then the next time I come in here, I\u2019ll expect you to treat me with some respect. Do you even realize what I\u2019ve done for this park so far? Seriously. Take a chill pill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She stopped speaking when she realized that he had gone completely quiet. She held her breath, wondering when the next explosion was going to come. Instead, he sat down abruptly and waved her back to her chair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery good. You passed the test,\u201d he said, picking up a pen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat test?\u201d she asked, edging her way back into the chair.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe ultimate test. You\u2019re going to be one of Santa\u2019s elves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDoesn\u2019t Santa, you know, have his own elves?\u201d she asked, still not sure that he was completely in charge of his senses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course Santa has his own elves. However, when he\u2019s here at The Zone we supply him with courtesy elves so that they can continue making toys at the North Pole,\u201d Mr. Peterson told her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, I\u2019m going to be a courtesy elf?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p>He nodded and handed her a single sheet of paper. \u201cSign this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She took it. \u201cWhat? Just one thing to sign?\u201d She had expected another huge stack of forms that would leave her hand cramped for hours afterward.<\/p>\n<p>He nodded curtly. \u201cYou\u2019re now in our system as a regular seasonal employee. All of your other paperwork transfers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRegular seasonal\u201d sounded like some kind of contradiction to her, but she was still not entirely convinced his outburst had been a test. She scanned it, signed her name, and then handed it back to him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood. Report to wardrobe on Saturday for your costume fitting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay, thank you,\u201d she said, standing up and backing toward the door.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWelcome back, Candy,\u201d he said, smiling faintly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks,\u201d she said, before bolting out the door.<\/p>\n<p>As soon as she was outside the building, she whipped out her cell phone and called her friend Josh, a fellow employee of The Zone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell?\u201d he asked when he picked up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Mr. Peterson has seriously lost it,\u201d she said. \u201cHe totally flipped out on me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Josh laughed. \u201cLet me guess. You\u2019re going to be an elf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo he was serious? That was some whacked-out test?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah. Elves are considered a class-one stress position, and it can get pretty intense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow hard can it be to be an elf?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<p>She was rewarded by a burst of laughter on the other end.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJosh, what is it you\u2019re not telling me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He just kept laughing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay, seriously. You were the one who convinced me to work Holly Daze. I think it\u2019s only fair you tell me whatever it is I need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry!\u201d he gasped. She wasn\u2019t sure if he was apologizing or refusing to tell her.<\/p>\n<p>A girl bounced around the corner and slammed into Candace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJosh, I\u2019ll call you later,\u201d she said, hanging up.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry,\u201d Becca apologized.<\/p>\n<p>Becca was one of Candace\u2019s other friends from the park, one who had some sort of bizarre allergy to sugar that made her uncontrollably hyper. Candace looked suspiciously at Becca. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were glistening, and she was hopping from one foot to the other.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou didn\u2019t have sugar, did you?\u201d Candace asked, fear ripping through her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo! Promise,\u201d Becca said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what gives?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRoger made me laugh really hard,\u201d Becca explained.<\/p>\n<p>Roger had a crush on Becca and had wanted to ask her out since Halloween. It hadn\u2019t happened yet.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d was all Candace could think to say.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, are you working Holly Daze?\u201d Becca asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah. I\u2019m going to be an elf.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Suddenly, Becca went completely still, and the smile left her face. \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy?\u201d Candace asked.<\/p>\n<p>Becca just shook her head. \u201cI\u2019ve gotta get back to the Muffin Mansion. I\u2019ll catch you later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She hurried off, and Candace watched her go. Okay, now I know there\u2019s something -people aren\u2019t telling me.<\/p>\n<p>She debated about following Becca and forcing her to spill, but instead she headed for the parking lot where her best friend Tamara was waiting. She walked through the Exploration Zone, one of the several themed areas in the park.<\/p>\n<p>The Zone theme park was created and owned by John<br \/>\nHanson, a former professional quarterback who believed in healthy competition at work and play. His theme park had several areas, or zones, where -people could compete with each other and themselves at just about anything. Almost everyone who worked at The Zone was called a referee. The exceptions were the costumed characters called mascots. Most of them, including Candace\u2019s boyfriend, Kurt, were to be found in the History Zone. -People visiting the park were called players, and the areas of the park they could reach were called on field. Only refs could go off field.<\/p>\n<p>Candace cut through an off field area to get to the referee parking lot. She waved at a few other -people she recognized from her time spent working there. Finally, she slid into her friend\u2019s waiting car.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo are you going to be the Christmas queen?\u201d Tamara asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat am I, Lucy VanPelt? There\u2019s no Christmas queen in Charlie Brown\u2019s Christmas play, and there\u2019s no Christmas queen in The Zone,\u201d Candace said.<\/p>\n<p>Tamara fake pouted. \u201cAre you sure? I think I\u2019d make a beautiful Christmas queen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candace laughed. Tamara was gorgeous, rich, and fun. Her whole family practically redefined the word wealthy, and, with her dark hair and olive skin, Tamara was usually the prettiest girl in any room. She didn\u2019t let it go to her head, though. Anybody who knew Tamara would vote for her as Christmas queen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlthough I think you would, they\u2019re only hiring elves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re going to be an elf?\u201d Tamara smirked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey, it beats being a food cart vendor,\u201d Candace said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut you\u2019re so good at it. Cotton candy, candy corn .?.?. you can sell it all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThanks, I think. So, what are we doing tonight? Kurt\u2019s going to swing by at six to pick us up.\u201d Just mentioning her boyfriend\u2019s name was enough to make Candace smile. She closed her eyes for just a minute and pictured him as she had first seen him?\u2014?wearing a Lone Ranger costume. With his charm and piercing blue eyes, she had fallen for him right away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou told him my house, right?\u201d Tamara said, interrupting her thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah. So, who\u2019s this guy you\u2019re taking?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tamara sighed. \u201cMark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUh-huh. And?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRemember my cousin Tina?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, she broke up with him over the summer, and he\u2019s been all shattered since then. He won\u2019t date other girls; he just mopes over her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAttractive,\u201d Candace said sarcastically.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTell me about it. Well, Tina asked me if I could help him get his confidence back and get over her or something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA pity date? Are you kidding me? You want Kurt and I to double date with you on a pity date?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t think I\u2019m about to go by myself, do you? No way. That\u2019s the best-friend creed. When you\u2019re happy, I\u2019m happy. When I\u2019m miserable, you have to be too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreat,\u201d Candace said, rolling her eyes. \u201cSo, where are we going?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the problem. I was thinking dinner, but then we\u2019d have to talk, and frankly, I don\u2019t want to hear him go on about Tina. Then I thought we could see a movie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t have to talk to him,\u201d Candace confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, but what if?\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe tries to grab a hand or put his arm around you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExactly, and I don\u2019t think me giving him a black eye was what Tina had in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI guess that also rules out any kind of concert possibilities?\u201d Candace asked wistfully.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYup. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, what did you come up with?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was thinking .?.?. theme park?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo way. Kurt doesn\u2019t like to spend his downtime there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought he took you to that romantic dinner there over the summer.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the nicest restaurant he knew, and he got an employee discount.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCharming,\u201d Tamara said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlus, ever since we got trapped in there overnight, he\u2019s been even more adamant about avoiding it when he\u2019s off work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t believe you two get to be the stuff of urban legend, and you don\u2019t even appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candace sighed. It was true that she and Kurt had spent one of the most miserable nights of their relationship trapped inside the theme park. Urban legend, though, had since transformed the story so that they were supposedly chased through the park by a psycho killer. It was still embarrassing to have -people point at her and say that she was the one. Around Halloween she had given up trying to correct -people. They were going to believe what they wanted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEarth to Candace. Helloooo?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry. So, what does that leave us with? Shopping?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo need to torture both our dates,\u201d Tamara said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t?\u2014?miniature golf!\u201d Tamara suddenly shrieked, so loudly that Candace jumped and slammed her head into the roof of the car.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTam! Don\u2019t scare me like that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSorry. Miniature golf. What do you think? Built-in talking points, lots of movement, and zero grabby potential.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI like it. I\u2019ll have to borrow one of your jackets though.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt least you\u2019ll have an actual excuse this time,\u201d Tamara teased.<\/p>\n<p>A few minutes later they were at Tamara\u2019s house and upstairs raiding her wardrobe. As Tamara considered and discarded a fifth outfit, Candace threw up her hands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaybe if you\u2019d tell me what you\u2019re looking for, I could help.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m looking for something, you know, nunlike.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candace stared at her friend for a moment before she burst out laughing. She fell to the floor, clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her face. Tamara crossed her arms and tapped her foot, and Candace just laughed harder.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know why you think that\u2019s so funny. You know I don\u2019t go past kissing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTam, nuns can\u2019t even do that. And if you\u2019re looking for something that will completely hide your body, then you\u2019re going to have to go to the mall instead of the closet. You don\u2019t own anything that doesn\u2019t say \u2018look at me.\u2019 I\u2019m sorry, but it\u2019s true.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally? Maybe we should go to your house. Think I could find what I\u2019m looking for in your closet?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNot since I started dating and mom made me throw out all my old camp T-shirts,\u201d Candace said with a grin.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThen hello, you\u2019ve got no call to laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candace stood up, stomach still aching from laughing so hard. \u201cTam, I\u2019m not criticizing. I\u2019m just telling you, you\u2019re not going to find what you\u2019re looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tam reached into the closet. \u201cOh, yeah, what about this?\u201d she asked, producing jeans and a black turtleneck.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re going for the secret agent look, it\u2019s a good choice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tamara threw the jeans at her, and Candace ducked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI could wear some black pants with this. Would that be too funereal?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor a pity date? Go for it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candace opted to borrow Tamara\u2019s discarded jeans instead of wearing the skirt she had brought with her. They turned out to be slightly tighter on her than they were on Tam, and she had to admit when she paired them with her red scoop-neck top that she looked really good.<\/p>\n<p>When Kurt arrived a few minutes later, he whistled when he saw her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeep the jeans,\u201d Tamara whispered to her. \u201cObviously, they work for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kurt then looked at Tamara and frowned slightly. \u201cDid you just come from a funeral?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, but thank you for thinking so,\u201d Tamara said with a smirk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t?\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Candace put her finger over his lips. \u201cDon\u2019t ask,\u201d she advised him.<\/p>\n<p>He smiled and kissed her finger, which made her giggle.<\/p>\n<p>The doorbell rang again, and Candace turned, eager to see the infamous Mark.<\/p>\n<p>Tamara opened the door, and Candace sucked in her breath. Mark was gorgeous. He had auburn hair, piercing green eyes, and model-perfect features. He was almost as tall as Kurt, and he was stunning in khaki Dockers and a green Polo shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHi,\u201d he said, smiling.<\/p>\n<p>Tamara glanced at her and rolled her eyes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHi, Mark.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kurt drove, and Candace was quick to slide into the front seat with him, leaving Tamara and Mark to the back. She shook her head. Mark was not her idea of a pity date in any sense of the word. Maybe Tamara would come around if she actually talked to him.<\/p>\n<p>They made it to the miniature golf course and were soon on the green. Candace got a hole in one on the first time up to putt, and Kurt gave her a huge reward kiss.<\/p>\n<p>When they moved on to the next hole, Tamara whispered in her ear, \u201cThanks a lot. This is supposed to be a no grabby zone. Now Mark will be getting ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTam, you really need to relax a little.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They made it through the course in record time, and Kurt gave Candace another kiss for winning by one stroke. After turning in their clubs, the guys headed inside to order pizza while Candace and Tamara went to the restroom.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis date is the worst,\u201d Tamara groaned once they were alone.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you? He\u2019s gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally? I guess I just can\u2019t see past the Tina mope.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat mope? He hasn\u2019t even mentioned her, and he\u2019s done nothing but smile all night. You should totally take him to Winter Formal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo way. This is a one-date-only kind of thing. I\u2019m not taking him to Winter Formal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine. Suit yourself. I\u2019m just telling you that if it weren\u2019t for Kurt, I\u2019d be taking him to Winter Formal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tamara laughed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs if. There\u2019s no way you\u2019d ask a guy out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know. You might be surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a moot point anyway. I\u2019ll find someone to take.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou could always take Josh,\u201d Candace suggested.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re not setting me up with Josh, so just forget it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFind out for me, though, if Santa needs a Mrs. Claus,\u201d Tamara said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re going to find some way to be the Christmas queen, aren\u2019t you?\u201d Candace asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven if I have to marry old Saint Nick.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They both laughed.<\/p><\/div>\n<h3>MY REVIEW:<\/h3>\n<p>Too much to do and not enough time so I can&#8217;t take much of it to write a review. The book is a great follow-up to the first two volumes of The Sweet Seasons Novels. Once again the reader follows the (mis)adventures of Candace as she works another holiday season at The Zone theme park &#8211; this time the Christmas season.<\/p>\n<p>I think that each installment gets better as Candace blossoms and begins to discover who she really is and steps into the role God has for her life. I just hope that in the final installment she will realize that Josh is much more suited to her than Kurt &#8211; it&#8217;s pretty evident to this reader.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It is time to play a Wild Card! Every now and then, a book that I have chosen to read is going to pop up as a FIRST Wild Card Tour. Get dealt into the game! (Just click the button!) Wild Card Tours feature an author and his\/her book&#8217;s FIRST chapter! You never know when [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":959,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions\/959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}