In this heartwarming episode of “The Cozy Christmas Podcast,” we invite you to gather ’round and experience the magic of a classic Victorian Christmas tale. Join us as we delve into Elizabeth Gaskell’s enchanting story, “Christmas Storms and Sunshine,” where we explore the true spirit of the season.

Set in a quaint English village, we follow the journey of a young family who, for too long, harbored grudges against their neighbors. Will a near-disaster during the holiday season prompt a transformation in their hearts? Mrs. Gaskell’s classic tale offers us a lesson of reconciliation, community, and the power of Christmas goodwill. It’s a story that reminds us all that even in the coldest of winters, the warmth of our hearts can melt away any frosty disputes and lead us to a more harmonious, joy-filled holiday season.

Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

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Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

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twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

On today’s episode I talk about Mrs. Claus, share some of my favorite portrayals, and I read the first Christmas story that she’s mentioned in: “A Christmas Legend” by James Rees.

Also, you can totally hear my pet parakeet Pickwick in the background of my recording. It’s not too distracting I hope! He was in the holiday spirit and wanted to join me on the podcast.

Happy Septmeber everyone!

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and some news, upcoming things, bookclub, etc

03:40 Book Recommendation

06:00 Who is Mrs. Claus?

11:53 Story: A Christmas Legend, by James Rees

30:22 Thoughts on the story

Books and Websites mentioned:

www.thevillagecollector.com

The Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series by Jacqueline Frost

The Cozy Christmas Book Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1035399187415872

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

#christmas #christmaspodcast #podcast

Happy Christmas in July! Today, it’s the Cozy Christmas Mystery Extravaganza – My guests today are three best-selling and talented cozy mystery authors, Lee Hollis, Lynn Cahoon, and Maddie Day. They are here to talk about their new collection coming out this fall entitled “Christmas Mittens Murder”. We talk about how they all became writers, their new book and the series they write. We also talk a lot about Christmas too – favorite movies, memories, and food! So much good food is mentioned… I know it will make you hungry! I also give some Christmas book recommendations based on what I have been reading this past month.

Lee Hollis https://www.leehollismysteries.com/

Lynn Cahoon https://www.lynncahoon.com/

Maddie Day https://edithmaxwell.com/maddie-day/

Ways to support the show:

Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

#Christmas #podcast #cozymystery

Christmas Foods, Memories… and Murder? with cozy mystery writers Lee Hollis, Lynn Cahoon, & Maddie Day!

In today’s episode, I’m joined by listener Anni Huch, and Glen Warren from The Seasons Eatings Podcast, to talk about one of our books for the Cozy Christmas Book Club: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by friend of the show Liz Ireland. Of course we’d encourage you to read the book and take a listen to our thoughts about it, but we mostly avoid spoilers if you haven’t read the book yet. (Spoiler discussions are from 48-57 minutes.)

Take a listen and join us for the coziest, Christmasiest bookclub around!

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Cozy News – Sharing Christmas Kindness all year!

06:30 Bookclub Discussion: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (non-spoilers, but we do discuss points in the plot)

48:30 SPOILERS!!!!!

57:00 Rating the Book

59:00 Christmas Traditions and Chat

1:04:50 Final Thoughts

Ways to support the show:

Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

#bookclub #Christmas #podcast

In today’s episode, Christmas is going to the dogs… and a few cats!

My guest is cozy mystery author and professional cat rescuer M. R. Dimond. She writes the Black Orchids Enterprises mystery series, and the first two books take place at Christmas time. We chat about her writing process, her time as a cat rescuer, and the joy of writing Christmas books. Then in the second half of the episode, we also talk about her favorite Christmas things! You won’t believe what Christmas movie she talks about here.

I also share some dog-related cozy news and recommend some great books that feature Christmas and Dogs.

M. R. Dimond can be found online here: https://dimond.me/

Ways to support the show:

Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

Email bookshelfodysseypodcast@gmail.com

artthebookworm@gmail.com

#booktube #authorinterview #christmaspodcast

In today’s episode I share just a little bit of book club news, then we get into chapter 2 of The Chimes by Charles Dickens.

Things get a little spooky in this chapter, as Trotty helps a stranger and his young neice. Then while reading the news one evening he comes across a tragic story… and begins to hear the ghostly call of The Chimes. Find out what happens in today’s chapter!

Ways to support the show:

Rate and review: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-cozy-christmas-podcast/id1523423375

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

#charlesdickens #christmas #thechimes

Hello and welcome to the start of season 4! In today’s episode I give a few updates and share some news about our new Cozy Christmas Book Club. You can find details on my social media accounts.

The main portion of the episode today, I begin reading Charles Dickens’ novella The Chimes. It was released at Christmas time the year after A Christmas Carol was published. It tells the story of Toby Veck and a mysterious encounter he has with some goblins that haunt the church bells…

This novella will be read in parts over the next 8 episodes. Along the way I will have some guests on to chat, news to share, and lots of wonderful cozy books to talk about. I’m so excited to get this new season started – Let’s get counting down to Christmas 2023!

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introduction, news, book club

05:55 Introducing The Chimes – the background, info, etc.

12:25 The Chimes, Chapter 1, part 1

40:09 Concluding Thoughts

Ways to support the show:

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

#christmas #christmaspodcast #charlesdickens

It’s almost Christmas, and today I want to give you a story and a message for Christmas. I’ve had a few listeners wondering if I could address some of my thoughts about the religious significance of Christmas. So in today’s episode I want to talk about what Christmas means to me, what my faith means to me, and how the two are connected. I also read you a very sweet and inspiring story written by Leo Tolstoy. It’s also known as “Simon the Cobbler” and it tells the story of an elderly shoe maker. One day he hears a voice – God – saying that He would come and visit him tomorrow. So that next day Simon gets up and works by his window, looking out at the people and waiting for Christ to arrive. What he sees and does in response is what makes this story a beautiful message of what God’s love looks like.

This is a bit more religious than what I usually do on my podcast, but I felt like it was a message I wanted to share, and in some ways needed to share. My hope is that this episode will encourage you to be kind, to do good, and to honor Christmas in your heart, and try to keep it all the year.

From me and my family to all of you, I hope you have a very merry Christmas!

Time Stamps:

00:00 Introductory thoughts and intro to the story

10:08 Where Love Is, There God is Also, by Leo Tolstoy

39:32 Thoughts on the story, and my Christmas message of encouragement to you

Past episodes that might deal with a bit of the religious side of Christmas:

The Life of Our Lord: a Brief Look at The Gospel According to Dickens: https://cozychristmas.libsyn.com/the-life-of-our-lord-a-brief-look-at-the-gospel-according-to-dickens

An Easter Carol by Charles Dickens? with Guest Gina Dalfonzo https://cozychristmas.libsyn.com/an-easter-carol-by-charles-dickens-with-guest-gina-dalfonzo

Ways to support the show:

Wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2PTGNQWISVZE/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_3

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

email: cozychristmaspodcast@gmail.com

#christmas #podcast #stories

“Where Love Is, God Is” by Leo Tolstoy: A Message for Christmas

The worlds of Arthur Conan Doyle and Charles Dickens collide!

In today’s episode I talk to writer/director Mark Shanahan – who’s back on the show to talk more about his play A Sherlock Carol. Along for the ride is his partner in this endeavor, Drew McVety – he stars as Sherlock Holmes and is also one of the producers. After we catch up with Mark and find out all about how Drew portrays Sherlock Holmes, I subject them to another round of the Cozy Christmas Questionnaire – and it turns out these two are full of Christmas spirit, (even if one of them doesn’t like Egg Nog…). I also find out that not only are these two incredibly talented people, but they are also some of the kindest people you will ever meet. So settle in for another Cozy Christmas conversation and join us as we chat about A Sherlock Carol and Christmas shopping, music, foods, and memories – and find out why we should all aspire to be like Ebenezer Scrooge!

Get tickets: https://asherlockcarol.com/

Check out the charity that Mark and Drew talk about: https://www.holeinthewallgang.org/m/

Buy me a coffee? www.ko-fi.com/cozychristmas

Ornaments, Mugs, and Notebooks: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CozyChristmasPodcast

Logo shirt designs: http://tee.pub/lic/edygC_h4D1c

Contact Me:

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cozychristmaspodcast

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cozychristmaspodcast/

twitter: https://twitter.com/CozyXmasPod

youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCikiozEbu0h9pKeI1Ei5TQ

#christmas #podcast #theater

We Should All Aspire to be Scrooge: A Conversation with “A Sherlock Carol” creators Mark Shanahan and Drew McVety