A Hannah Rae Gift Giving Guide

Since Christmas is right around the corner, I figured I might offer some suggestions for the readers on your list. How about one of the following combos?

Consider a copy of The One You’re With, a Christmas novella that features a cameo from Chadwick and Alexandria Lemon-Close, owners of a coffee shop in Lake Caywood. (Alexandria and Chadwick are based on Alex and Chad, the real owners of Bantam. As many of you probably already know, I’ve done quite a bit of editing at Bantam Coffee Roasters over the years, so if you were to gift this novella with a gift card to Bantam, that would make for a special treat!

Additionally, The One You're With features quite a few scenes in The Tavern... which is modeled after Gettysburg's real-life Pub! Not long ago, Lisa Grim invited me to sign books in front of the Pub and it was kind of like signing books at The Tavern! The only thing missing was Doc Delaney, but if you pair a Pub gift card with a copy of my Christmas novella, that reader on your list will be able to have both!

What about a copy of Kick It One More Time OR Like A Flip Turn, which are both novels that also take place in the fictional town of Lake Caywood? Unlike my Christmas novella, however, Kick It and Flip Turn each contain several scenes that take place at Bottomless Joe’s… which is a coffee shop inspired by the real-life Ragged Edge. In fact, when Cassandra Alling (narrator of the audio version of Flip Turn) visited Gettysburg and stepped into the back garden of the Ragged Edge, she expressed that it felt as though she’d stepped into a work of fiction. So why not gift a friend either of the aforementioned titles and pair it with a Ragged Edge gift card?

Do you have a reader on your list who also enjoys beer? Just Whistle is the way to go (although Running Through the Words also fits that same bill). The Brewhaha (an old farmhouse-turned-brewery) is known for its magical floor plan: the rooms come and go with no rhyme or reason. The Brewhaha is also known for its unique beers… some of which are (coincidentally) quite similar to those found at Michaux Brewing Company. One can’t really go wrong with beer and books…

At this point in time, all four members of Flannel Lobster (my favorite fictional band!) have novels of their own: Kick It One More Time (Sebastian), Running Through the Words (Bert), Uptempo, Down (Finn), and Dog-Eared Life (Russo). And do you know what else the boys of Flannel Lobster are selling these days? Merch! You can find stickers, t-shirts, hoodies, and more on RedBubble. Now that would make a solid present under the tree.

Last but not least, both Time Jumps and Torn Asunder take place in Callensburg, Maryland, and though Callensburg isn’t really much like Gettysburg, it does have something in common with my hometown: Garryowen! (Although, in my books, the Irish tavern is known as Rory O’Sullivan’s.) Consider pairing the gift of literature with the nourishment that comes from a wee bit of fish ‘n’ chips. Garryowen gift cards can double as bookmarks too!

Get to gifting some quality presents while supporting a local artist and some of her favorite (mostly local) establishments at the same time!