Christmas Camp
Page 27
Everyone cheered.
“Do you know another reason I had to come back?” Jeff asked, turning back to face her.
“No, what is it?”
Jeff took both ends of her scarf and pulled her closer to him. “To get back the scarf you stole.”
Haley laughed and snuggled into the scarf. “I think it looks better on me.”
Jeff kissed the tip of her nose. “So do I.”
When she turned back to the group, her eyes lit up and she took Jeff’s hand. “Look at your dad and Gail,” she whispered. Gail had just kissed Ben’s cheek and Ben was holding her hand. “I think something special might be happening there.”
Jeff smiled when he saw how happy his dad looked. “I hope so.”
When Haley kissed his cheek just like Gail had kissed Ben’s, everyone watching cheered again.
Haley and Jeff laughed.
“Merry Christmas!” Haley called out to everyone.
They all answered back in unison . . .
“Merry Christmas!”
When Haley looked up at Jeff and saw so much love in his eyes, she felt so thankful that she had been able to open her heart to Christmas, and to love, and she couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.
Acknowledgments
Storytelling. It’s what I’ve always done. Ask my mom. She loves telling people how when I was two, at the grocery store, some woman looked at me and asked her, “Does she ever stop talking?” and my mom smiled and said, “Only when she’s sleeping.” Thankfully, my mom, Lao Schaler, and my bonus mom, Kathy Bezold, encouraged my storytelling and are still the first to read everything I write. Knowing I always have their unconditional support is everything.
When I wrote my original TV movie Christmas Camp, inspired by my Travel Therapy TV series, I created to showcase unique and inspiring travel experiences, I fell in love with the characters. I wanted to share more of their story, and knew the best way to do that was in books. This movie-to-book crossover wouldn’t have been possible without three people who all took a chance and believed in my vision, starting with my entertainment attorney, Neville Johnson, my champion for helping me transcend the way things are “usually” done.
My next gladiator is Foundry Literary + Media agent Jessica Regel, who fearlessly took on this project, despite the huge roadblocks we faced with traditional publishing deadlines. Her yes gave me a chance.
My next yes, from executive editor May Chen at HarperCollins, changed everything. With Liate Stehlik and Jennifer Hart, May not only understood my vision but also embraced it, welcoming me into the publishing family. This incredible team, including associate editor Elle Keck, copy editor Martin Karlow, Amelia Wood in marketing, publicist Pamela Spengler Jaffee, and art director Elsie Lyons, who created our magical book cover, has truly made Christmas Camp an inspiring and empowering publishing experience. I feel grateful and blessed to be part of this new amazing “family.”
It takes a village, and mine also includes my treasured friend Heather Mikesell, who did a fantastic job copyediting my first draft quickly so I could make my tight deadline and Denise Seomin at the Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, for believing in and embracing the Christmas Camp concept. I’m also thankful to Greta, Samuel, Denise, Lee, Lorianne, Lisa, Delia, Clint, Amy, Tim, and Jeryl for their loyal friendship and support, and to my family, including my dad, Harry; my grandpa Harry; Betty, Jon, David, Margaret, Deb, Wynn, John, and Nathan, who are always cheering me on.
I also want to thank and honor my stepdad, John Bezold, my grandma Irene, and grandpa Walt. When I look up at the sky at night and see the stars, I always think of you.
And finally, my inspiration for all that I do is my happy and healthy 103-year-old grandma, Patricia Crane, who reads a book every day.
The journey continues . . .
P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*
About the Author
* * *
Meet Karen Schaler
About the Book
* * *
Christmas Camp Recipes
Christmas Camp Charades
Read On
* * *
An Excerpt from Christmas Camp Wedding
About the Author
Meet Karen Schaler
KAREN SCHALER is a three-time Emmy Award–winning storyteller, author, screenwriter, journalist, and national TV host. She has written original screenplays for Netflix and Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies. Her travels to more than sixty-five countries as the creator and host of Travel Therapy TV inspired Christmas Camp. All of Karen’s stories are uplifting, filled with heart and hope.
karenschaler.com
facebook.com/KarenSchalerOfficial
twitter.com/karenschaler
Instagram.com/traveltherapy
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
About the Book
Christmas Camp Recipes
So you can re-create your own Christmas Camp experience with your family and friends, here are two of our favorite Christmas Camp recipes and our favorite activity, Christmas Camp Charades.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Christmas Camp Hot Chocolate
SERVES 2
Ingredients
2½ cups any combination of milk (cow’s, almond, soy, etc.)
4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 tablespoons sugar or honey to desired sweetness (optional)
Whipped cream
1 tablespoon dark chocolate shavings
1 tablespoon fresh finely crushed candy cane plus 2 whole candy canes to use as stir sticks
1 shot peppermint schnapps (optional)
Instructions
1.Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat (do not boil). Whisk in the cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar and cook, constantly stirring, about 4 minutes.
2.Remove from heat and add in the vanilla.
3.Divide the hot chocolate into 2 favorite Christmas mugs.
4.Add a shot of peppermint schnapps, if using, and top with whipped cream, dark chocolate shavings, and finely fresh crushed candy cane.
5.Serve with candy canes as your stir sticks.
Christmas Camp Sugar Cookies Secret Recipe
MAKES 36 COOKIES
Ingredients
2¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter
1¼ cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½–1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 16-oz. can cream-cheese frosting at room temperature
½ to 1 cup finely crushed candy canes
Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 375°F.
2.Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in small bowl.
3.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
4.Beat in the egg, followed by the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
5.Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
6.Roll the dough into golf-ball-size balls and put on ungreased cookie sheets.
7.Gently flatten the balls slightly with the bottom of a glass.
8.Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2–3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks or parchment paper.
9.Let cookies cool for ½ hour before topping with the cream cheese frosting. Generously sprinkle the crushed candy canes on top. Enjoy!
Optional: Add some red or green food coloring to the frosting.
Christmas Camp Charades
Equipment:
1 Christmas stocking to hold song selections
Small blank strips of paper to write song selections on
Notepad and pen for scorekeeping
Christmas Camp sugar cookies and hot chocolate (of course)<
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Directions:
All players should be wearing Christmas sweaters, the crazier the better!
Divide players into two teams. Put one person in charge of selecting Christmas songs (see suggestions below), write those song titles on the slips of paper, and put them into the Christmas stocking. This person will also act as the Christmas Camp referee, making sure all rules are followed. Decide how many rounds you will play.
Each team will pick one player to compete against the other, at the same time, with the first person who guesses correctly winning, and scoring 1 point for their team. The next two competitors face off and this continues until you have reached the number of rounds you want to play. The team with the most victories wins, with team members earning the title of Christmas Camp Charade Champions!
Optional: Little presents or Christmas treats, like candy canes, Christmas cookies, fudge and fruit, can be given out the winners of each round or given to the winning team.
Rules:
Christmas spirit must be maintained at all times.
Competitors acting out songs can’t talk. Laughter is the exception.
Competitors can point to their nose if a teammate guesses a word correctly.
No cheating is allowed or you’ll end up on the Naughty List.
Christmas Camp Charades Song Suggestions:
“Santa Baby”
“Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
“The Little Drummer Boy”
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
“Joy to the World”
“Jingle Bells”
“O Christmas Tree”
“Deck the Halls”
“Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
“Winter Wonderland”
Read on
An Excerpt from Christmas Camp Wedding
Dying to know what happens next for Haley and Jeff?
Keep reading for a sneak peek at
CHRISTMAS CAMP WEDDING
and discover the wedding of the season!
CHAPTER ONE
Haley Hanson was right in the middle of one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments every girl supposedly dreams of. She was trying on a spectacular wedding dress. But looking at herself in the mirror, instead of feeling overjoyed, she almost felt—guilty, because this had never been her dream.
A successful career woman and the youngest partner at one of Boston’s most prestigious advertising agencies, Haley had always been more of a realist than a fairy-tale kind of girl. But somehow, in the most unlikely way, she had found her HEA, her Happily Ever After. Meeting Jeff had changed everything.
Even as she thought about him now, she had to catch her breath. He had a way of doing that to her, taking her breath away. His love, his kindness, his dedication to family, his passion for life and his work, and most of all, his unconditional love for her had opened a door to a future she had never dared dream of. The fact that he was also incredibly handsome was just a bonus.
From the moment she had met Jeff and his dad, Ben, at Christmas Camp a year ago, the path she had always been on shifted. With Jeff, her journey to find love had been far from easy. There were bumpy roads, wrong turns, detours, and delays, but in the end, she knew that right now, even if this hadn’t been a dream she’d grown up with, she was exactly where she was meant to be, standing on a dressing room platform, inside one of Boston’s beautiful boutique bridal stores.
As she did a slow spin in front of the mirror, taking in her stunning silk-sheath wedding dress, she still couldn’t believe how trusting her heart had led her here.
It was really happening.
She was marrying Jeff in forty-eight hours, on Christmas Eve!
She still couldn’t believe how fast the last year had flown by. The last few months especially were a blur, planning the wedding while helping Jeff’s dad franchise his Christmas Camp concept.
When she first pitched Ben the idea, she believed it would be successful, but nothing had prepared them for the overwhelming response of people wanting to do the Christmas Camps, not just in the United States but in Europe, as well.
Working in advertising, she knew one of the keys to being successful was creating something people needed. She had learned firsthand just how powerful and life changing a Christmas Camp experience could be. She knew the day she had given up a prestigious national account to help Ben launch the Christmas Camp franchise idea that she was doing the right thing, just like she knew now, two days before her wedding, that she was marrying the right person for all the right reasons.
The fact that she had no doubts left her with an incredible sense of gratitude and wonder at how this could now be her life. She had gone from being nicknamed the Grinch to having her own Christmas miracle.
As her sparkling oval-cut engagement ring caught the light, she smiled remembering how Jeff had proposed to her at the same place his dad had proposed to his mom, at Star Peak, overlooking a breathtaking snow-covered mountain range.
Jeff had started off by having them both look for a pinecone so they could make a Christmas wish together, a tradition in Jeff’s family. After he had helped Haley pick the perfect pinecone, she had found a stunning engagement ring tucked inside. Jeff had told her it was his dad’s idea to use diamonds from his mom’s wedding ring to have a special ring created just for her, to continue the tradition of true love. He had then gotten down on one knee and proposed, saying how much he loved her and that he wanted to spend every Christmas together for the rest of their lives.
Knowing that Jeff had proposed to her at Star Peak, just like his dad had proposed to his mom, meant everything to her. Now that his mom had passed away, she knew it was even more important to him to honor her memory by keeping special traditions like this alive.
Haley would be the first to admit that when she first met Jeff and his dad, Christmas traditions weren’t exactly her thing. That’s why her boss, Larry, had sent her to Holly Peak Inn, to Christmas Camp, to find her Christmas spirit, hoping it would help her land a huge new holiday advertising campaign.
For years, Haley’s idea of celebrating Christmas meant getting out of town and taking her parents to the Caribbean to avoid all the Christmas craziness and celebrating the holiday. While her parents would vacation on the beach, she would always work, using the time not celebrating Christmas to get ahead, while her competitors took time off.
But as soon as Haley had arrived at Christmas Camp, she quickly found there was no avoiding the Christmas craziness there. She was surrounded by Christmas 24–7, from the decorations, to the activities, to the meals, you name it. If it had anything to do with Christmas, it was happening at Christmas Camp. Haley had desperately wanted to escape, but when her boss insisted she stay the entire week, all she could do was try to find ways to avoid all the holiday hoopla. But every time she tried to take a shortcut, she kept running into one big roadblock.
Jeff.
Jeff’s dad, Ben, owned the inn and ran the Christmas Camp, so Jeff had made it his personal mission to keep an eye on Haley. He’d known she didn’t want to be there and had told her he wanted to make sure she didn’t wreck the other guests’ experiences. That’s when she had nicknamed him the “Christmas Camp Police.”
But what had started out as Christmas Camp chaos had turned into something much more meaningful for Haley. Through Christmas Camp, she was able to learn what mattered most at Christmas—family, friends, community, and love—and was then able to open her heart to finding her Christmas spirit and finding true love.
If someone had told her back then that the following Christmas she’d be marrying the “Christmas Camp Police,” she would have laughed them all the way to the North Pole.
But yet, here she was, wearing a wedding dress. It was crazy. Christmas crazy, in a good way.
Haley twirled around one more time in front of the mirror. “So what do you think?” She looked over at her best friend, Kathy, who was enjoying the posh surroundings, lounging on a white velvet settee, sipping champagne.
Kathy lifted her glass in a toast. “I think it’s perfect for you. It’s simple but chic, classy but not stuffy, expensive but not showy. It’s totally you. I love it!”
Haley smiled brightly. “So do I. They did a great job with the alterations.”
“It’s going to be perfect for the pictures,” Kathy said.
“I hope so.” Haley reverently touched her silky dress. “You know, at first, I only agreed to do all of this—the designer dress, the fancy cake, and all the flowers—because my mom and dad needed some promotional pictures to get ready to open their B&B. But now, honestly, I’m really getting into it. I guess it’s happened. I’ve officially caught bridal fever.”
“And why not?” Kathy said. “You only do this once. You deserve this.”
“I’m just glad I was able to get everyone to donate everything in exchange for all the publicity this will hopefully bring them.”
Kathy nodded. “Your parents are lucky they have a brand specialist for a daughter who can work her magic and make all these things happen.”
“I’m just thankful all the renovations are finally done at the Money Pit, in time for the wedding, and to open after Christmas,” Haley said.
Kathy gave her a look. “Hey, remember, you’re not supposed to call it the Money Pit anymore? That’s bad karma. It’s now your parents’ beautifully restored Victorian that’s going to be one of the hottest B&Bs in Massachusetts.”
Haley laughed. “As long as I’m still paying the bills on it, I’m calling it the Money Pit.”
“Fair enough,” Kathy said and smiled back at her.
A pretty salesclerk walked over to Haley holding a fabulous bejeweled tiara and veil. “Are you ready to try this on?” she asked.
Haley nodded, excited.
As the salesclerk arranged the veil, Haley shut her eyes.