Christmas, Characters and Diabetes by Ann Brodeur
Christmas, Characters and Diabetes
By Ann Brodeur
One of my favourite seasons of the year is Christmas. There isn’t much I don’t like about it: music, lights, decorated trees, watching children open presents, attending the church children’s presentations and Christmas Eve candlelight service, and sledding in the snow.
Then, of course the other things I like about the season are:
Gingerbread Houses. Shortbread cookies. Candy Canes. Hot Chocolate. Chocolate truffles. Molasses cookies. Cut-out sugar cookies loaded with icing and candy balls.
Tourtière, a selection of specialty cheeses and a Bûche de Noël.
Turkey. Cranberry Sauce. Mashed, sweet potatoes.
And homemade egg nog.
Have I made you hungry yet?
In my 2020 debut novel, SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS my heroine is a diabetic, but it doesn’t keep her from indulging once in a while. After all, Winterberry Falls, VT is the place to visit at Christmas with their month-long festival. You can bet cookies and gingerbread houses make an appearance. And some of the creations are pretty hard to resist. Even for a fictional character.
Why a diabetic character?
Well, I grew up watching my Type 1 diabetic grandmother inject herself with insulin. In fact, when I was a tween, I’d help fill her needles so she didn’t have to manage on her own during the days when she was alone. And during every one of my pregnancies, I was gestational diabetic. Christmas was a challenge those years, as I was born with a sweet tooth. Somehow leafy greens and cottage cheese missed the mark of Christmas treats.
All kidding aside, there are some great-tasting Christmas treats I discovered in magazines for diabetics that keep the glucose numbers in check. I may have made a recipe or….ten.
So when dreaming of characters for my novel, it made sense to include a character I could somewhat relate to. I try to bring some fun to the season in a healthy way for my heroine, compliments of our hero, but I also allow her the luxury of a special treat once in a while.
Are you, or someone you know, diabetic? What are your/their favourite treats to have at Christmas? For more information on Diabetes: American Diabetes Association | Research, Education, Advocacy
SNOWBOUND IN WINTERBERRY FALLS by Ann Brodeur
Unwrapping their past – one secret at a time.
Owning her own PR firm is all reporter Stephanie Clark wants for Christmas, but the idea of running a prestigious election campaign in the country’s capital throws her stomach into knots. A last minute vacation road trip to focus and seek God’s direction for her life ends up in disaster when she gets caught in the worst snowstorm to hit Vermont in over a decade, crashing her into a small town and the one person she’d rather forget.
Former photojournalist Jason Miller hadn’t planned on being solely responsible for saving his family business from financial ruin. He’s barely keeping the newspaper in print, his News Editor has gone AWOL during the town’s most celebrated holiday festival, and reports of missing Christmas decorations have everyone on edge.
When a desperate knock at the newsroom door brings a ghost from Christmas past back into his life, can Jason make up for his prior behavior without breaking his promise to Stephanie’s father? Will Stephanie’s quest to solve the town’s Christmas caper—and uncover the truth about Jason’s disappearance—cost her everything she’s ever wanted?
ANN BRODEUR is an award-winning novelist who writes inspirational and contemporary romances offering sweet hope and happy endings.
When she’s not reading, writing, chasing after her kids or enjoying long chats with her husband, Ann can be found drinking coffee. That’s been reheated several times throughout the day. She aspires to drink a hot beverage in one sitting.
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Paperback: https://bit.ly/36aKN7h
