Christal Cooper 521 Words
Mystery Writer T. Dawn Richard:
What Christmas Means To Me!
We didn’t have much. Most of the time our cupboards were empty but
somehow my mother managed to scrape together what she could feed her five
children and husband, my dad, who was the pastor of a small church in a small
town in Montana.
Because we were surrounded by forests, our Christmas tree was one we cut
down and dragged home tied to the top of our station wagon.
We decorated with the scratched and home-made ornaments we kept in a
cardboard box. I never remember feeling like we were poor, even though we were,
because I had my family.
One Christmas Eve my mother and dad gathered up
the children and we all piled into the station wagon.
They didn't tell us where we were going but
soon enough we stopped at a familiar house and knocked on the door. We were
greeted with the smells of cooking and the smiles of everyone in the house.
After a short visit and hugs we went on to the next house, and the next,
chatting and eating whatever treat was offered, hugs as we went out the door,
and after several hours we had visited every family in my dad's church.
We couldn't offer gifts, and most of our church
family didn't have much to offer, either, but that didn't matter.
We were filled with the love of our friends,
unified in the love of Christ, and all differences were set aside at least for
one day in the year. Nothing mattered except we were all together. For me, that
is the true meaning of Christmas.
*Dawn Richard was born in Texas, raised in
Montana, spent time in the Army as a medic in Germany, attended the Defense
Language Institute in Monterey, California, and eventually found her way back
to Texas where she obtained a bachelor's degree at Angelo State University in
San Angelo, Texas, and a master's degree in Adult Education at the University
of Texas at San Antonio. She worked for the Air Force as an instructor and
curriculum developer but loved to write books and short stories throughout her
lifetime.
When she married an Air Force pilot and moved
to Spokane, Washington she had an opportunity to stay home, raise her children,
and pursue a full-time career in writing.
Her first book, Death for Dessert, is a
cozy mystery whose main character, May List, is a bumbling but capable senior
citizen.
After successfully placing her book with an
agent and then with a publisher (Five Star/Cengage) she went on to write three
more books in the May List mystery series.
Death for Dessert, Digging
up Otis, A Wrinkle in Crime, and Par for the Corpse are all available
on Amazon, Nook, Kindle, and iPad.
Dawn is now working on an out-of-series mystery
novel, which is geared more toward the more serious nature of crime. She is also planning to begin a series of
books for young teenage girls who love horses. Dawn has a blog on Tumblr - www.horsebackwriter.tumblr.com
Photograph Description and Copyright Information
Photo 1
Dawn Richard and her horse.
Dawn Richard and her horse.
Copyright granted by Dawn Richard
Photo 2
Image of a church in Montana
Unknown date and attribution
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright law
Photo 3
Montana forests
Attributed to the United States Department of Agricultural
Public Domain
Public Domain
Photo 4
Dawn Richard, third from left in the doorway, surrounded by her siblings and
cousin at Yellowstone National Park
1970s
Copyright granted by Dawn Richard.
Photo 5
Dawn Richard, middle with her mother and her father.
Copyright granted by Dawn Richard.
Photo 6
Painting The Pastor’s Visit
Attributed to Thomas Brooks
Painting completed in 1850
Part of the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum
Public Domain
Photo 7
Victorian painting of a family celebrating Christmas
Date and Attribution unknown
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright Law.
Fair Use Under the United States Copyright Law.
Photo 8
Dawn Richard and her father.
Copyright granted by Dawn Richard.
Copyright granted by Dawn Richard.
Photo 9
Kindle jacket cover of Death For Dessert
Photo 10
Kindle jacket cover of Digging Up Otis
Photo 11
Jacket cover of A Wrinkle In Crime
Photo 12
Jacket cover of Par For The Corpse
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