A Lit Candle & My Hair: July is Almost Over

July 26, 2026July 26, 2026 Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

White candle stick in hand on a white background

July is almost over, and a lit candle played an important part in this book and influenced its title. I’ve enjoyed featuring my book, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir during this summer month. I hope your heart has been warmed with my story of cutting down our Christmas tree on our family ranch.

To end the month, here’s a humorous piece with a lit candle for your reading pleasure!

My Hair on Fire

Anticipation filled my heart.
We had practiced our Christmas pageant
     several times,
Rehearsed and rehearsed.
I felt it was a winner.
I was young—maybe five or six.
I had a minor part, but it loomed large in my
     heart.
I was an angel, one of several.

Yet I felt special!
I loved my white gown (cut from a sheet),
my wings (cut from white paper)
and halo (a golden contraption that hovered
     over my head),
and my candle I carried (in my hands, no
     holder).
Teacher promised we would light it that night
But not during our practice.

Our teacher warned us each rehearsal:
the candles will be lit,
allow enough space between you and the angel
ahead of you!

When the big night came for our Christmas
     pageant, I dressed.
Mom curled my shoulder-length strawberry
     blonde hair.
It hung down to my shoulders in soft curls.
Before donning my halo, she sprayed an aura of
     her hair spray
which surprised me! She had never done that
     before!

Mom and Dad took me and my brother to our
     little country church.
I waved goodbye to them
and joined the others downstairs.
Excitement filled the air.
The teacher had Mary and Joseph lead the
     processional.
Next, the three shepherds fell in behind the holy
     couple.
The group of angels lined up after them—my
     turn!

The teacher passed out the candles, unlit.
It was time.

I stepped in line with a schoolmate behind me.
Soon the teacher came by and lit our candles,
whispering her warnings once again!

She had placed a paper shield around the
     candle
to protect our hands from the dripping wax!
Oh, there was so much to watch with a lit
     candle!

Up the stairs we went,
and the pageant proceeded as normal.

Then, for some reason, the angel group crowded
     together
instead of spacing out like our teacher suggested.
It was our time and the angel bunching
continued.
Suddenly someone screamed, “Your hair is on
     fire!”

Quickly my teacher rushed over with a rolled
     paper
and whacked me on the head,
putting out the fire.

This haphazard event left me with singed hair,
and the burnt smell lingered.
Yes, it was a memorable Christmas,
and the pageant went on!

Our teachers served refreshments
Afterwards downstairs.
No one mentioned my hair
Or the fire!

Larada Horner-Miller, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir, (Horner Publishing Company, 2023), 25-27.

Finally, how about a candle!

A lit candle in a church Christmas program could have been a disaster! Heartwarming—humorous! Yes, during this month of July, I have shared with you that Hair on Fire celebrates my Christmases and all the emotions that came with it.

Hopefully, when you read the book, you have laughed, shed a tear and finished it, satisfied that I have sparked a memory or two or your own that has laid hidden.

Larada Horner-Miller - candle — A lit candle and my hair!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE: Buy the paperback of my book, Hair on Fire: Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir for $9.50 until the end of July!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir audiobook cover

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My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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MY LIFE · My Thoughts · My Writing

The Woman Behind Hair on Fire: Celebrate Christmas in July

July 19, 2026July 19, 2026 Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Larada Horner-Miller's Nine books - woman

Meet the woman, Larada Horner-Miller, behind ten books, especially Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir, as we celebrate Christmas in July. Hair on Fire is her eighth book. This article reveals the woman and her journey behind all of her books.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF

HEALING

AN ANALYTICAL PROFILE OF AUTHOR LARADA

The journey toward becoming a published author is rarely defined by a singular epiphany; more often, it is an accumulation of experiences that gradually erode the barrier between the act of living and the act of creating. For the writer known as Larada, this process spanned decades, rooted in the classroom and nurtured by the quiet observation of the world. Her transition from a middle-school language arts teacher to an independent author was not merely a change in profession, but a shift in orientation. It was a realization that the stories she had been guiding her students to uncover were, in fact, the same stories she had been carrying within herself.

THE PEDAGOGICAL FOUNDATION

To understand Larada’s approach to prose, one must understand her background as a literature instructor. For years, she operated in a pedagogical space where she wrote alongside her students, utilizing techniques popularized by authors like Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones. This was not a passive practice. By engaging in the immediate, raw act of writing, she watched her students’ attitudes shift from obligation to discovery. This experience taught her that writing is not a destination; it is a discipline. It showed her that the act of bringing thought to paper has a tangible, transformative effect on one’s worldview.

This history of teaching informs every aspect of her narrative structure today. Her prose carries the clarity of an educator who understands how to communicate complex emotional states to a broad audience without resorting to intellectual gatekeeping. She treats her books as environments where the reader is invited to explore alongside her, much like the students she once guided.

THE POETIC GENESIS

Larada’s bibliography defies the traditional urge to categorize an author by a single medium. Her work flows fluidly between reflective prose and moving poetry, a duality she treats as a natural extension of her internal state. She does not make a conscious decision to write in one format over another; rather, she allows the subject matter to dictate the form. For Larada, poetry acts as the bedrock of her creative output. Her first book, This Tumbleweed Landed, set the stage for a trajectory that would eventually lead to the extensive five-book poetry series, Time Measured Out.

In these works, she treats poetry as a vehicle for transparency. Where long-form prose might require the slow buildup of a narrative arc, her poetry captures the immediacy of a specific moment. It is a method of making the ephemeral permanent-a way to freeze a feeling or an observation so that it can be examined and shared. This poetic sensibility bleeds into her longer prose as well, giving her writing a rhythmic, measured quality that is uncommon in contemporary fiction.

GEOGRAPHY AS NARRATIVE

A global perspective permeates Larada’s work, influenced by a lifestyle defined by travel and an active resistance to the sedentary nature of traditional writing routines. Her immersion in Spanish language studies at the university level provided her with a gateway to magical realism, a framework that has become a recurring motif in her aesthetic. This was solidified during a trip to the Mayan ruins of Coba in the Yucatan Peninsula in 1986.

Walking the jungle paths, she observed the scene with a writer’s eye: an iguana on a ledge, the ruins rising out of the dense jungle foliage, and the buzzing of bees around orchids. This was not merely scenery; it was a catalyst for temporal collapse. When she later captured this in poetry, the lines felt less like a recollection and more like a ritual. She was no longer a summer traveler; she felt as though she were participating in the history of the site in 900 A.D. This realization-that words have the capacity to make a moment transparent and alive-cemented her commitment to the craft of imagery.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF TRUTH

In her historical fiction, such as When Will Papa Get Home?, Larada engages in a delicate act of invention. The narrative was rooted in the oral histories of her childhood, yet she introduced a protagonist, Maria, who was entirely fictionalized. The work’s success is defined by how easily the line between fact and fiction was blurred for those closest to the author. When a family member, who served as a primary reader, questioned the identity of Maria, convinced she was a real person from their past, the success of the project was solidified.

This anecdote underscores Larada’s objective: to construct worlds that feel inevitable, even when they are built from nothing. She does not aim to recreate the past with academic precision; she aims to recreate the *emotional truth* of the past. By doing so, she invites the reader to project their own experiences onto the page, making the story a collaborative effort between the author’s construction and the reader’s memory.

AUTO-FICTION AND THE WORK OF HEALING

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of Larada’s current output is her commitment to the genre of auto-fiction. She approaches her writing as a vehicle for healing, not merely for herself, but as a roadmap for her readership. Her advice to aspiring writers is urgent: do not wait. Having published her first book in her late 50s, she speaks with the clarity of one who recognizes the finite nature of time. She is currently deep in the process of her 11th manuscript, an auto-fiction project that she characterizes as the most grueling of her career.

This manuscript fictionalizes a deeply vulnerable part of her own life story as an incest survivor. It is a project she began in 2016, allowed to rest for a decade, and returned to only when the emotional distance was sufficient to navigate the material. This commitment to the most difficult subject matter is the core of Larada’s philosophy. She argues that growth is always possible, even in the center of deep loss or trauma. Her work is an invitation to resist the pull of negativity and to find spiritual grounding in the midst of hardship. If a reader closes her books and walks away with nothing else, she hopes they carry the conviction that transformation is not an event, but an ongoing, accessible process.

Finally,

The woman behind all ten books is exposed here. Hopefully, you view this woman differently after reading this article.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY SALE: Buy the paperback of my book, Hair on Fire: Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir for $9.50 for a limited time!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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Books · Christmas · family · Memories · Mom · My Thoughts

Holiday Magic: A Mid-Summer Touch of Christmas

July 12, 2026July 12, 2026 Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

Do you need some holiday magic right now? While the July heat has us all reaching for extra ice in our tea, my thoughts have been drifting toward a different kind of warmth—the kind that comes from a crackling fireplace, the scent of fresh pine, and the chaotic joy of a family gathered together.

They say it’s never too early to start celebrating, so today I’m bringing a little “Christmas in July” to my blog. I’m featuring my memoir, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir. This book is a collection of my favorite festive memories—from the spiritual beauty of the season to those hilarious, “only-in-our-family” moments that make the holidays so unforgettable.

Whether you’re a long-time reader or new to my stories, I hope this snippet brings a smile to your face and a bit of holiday spirit to your summer day.

Featured Chapter:

Chapter Eleven

CUTTING DOWN OUR CHRISTMAS TREE

Cutting Down a Christmas Tree - Holiday Magic

We never bought a Christmas tree when I was growing up. Why would we? Growing up in southeastern Colorado, we could choose a tree on our family ranch to become our star Christmas tree every year —free for the selection and lots of fun.

Mom and I would start looking for the year’s Christmas tree in October, during hunting season, as we walked the canyons, measuring trees in our minds.

“There’s the perfect one.” Mom pointed to a small three-foot piñon pine tree that she wanted to put up on the coffee table. She went on and on about the virtues of a small tree. Dad, Bub, my brother, and I moaned and groaned. Oh, not this again, but we knew her—she always wanted a small tree, and we didn’t.

Driving a little farther near the canyon, I spotted a regal six-foot piñon pine tree and exclaimed, “Here it is! Let’s mark this one. This is it, for sure—our Christmas tree for this year.”

Dad and Bub nodded their heads in agreement. We continued our lighthearted banter back and forth about small trees versus big trees. Then we would continue our task of hunting for deer to have venison for the winter. This routine repeated itself throughout the months of October and November and into the beginning of December if Dad or Bub didn’t get a deer. With the three of us outnumbering her, Mom often lost the tree size debate.

Chapter Eleven Continues with More Holiday Magic

One year, though, we three “big Christmas tree lovers” overdid ourselves.

It was early December, and the time had come to cut down our tree. For some reason, Mom didn’t go—too busy baking our fudge, divinity, and other Christmas goodies. Without her there, the three of us could choose a big tree that year with no fuss. We scouted out the ones I had mentally marked throughout the fall, but Dad and Bub spied one they wanted that wasn’t on the list. The saw came out, and they cut it down as a team, laughing about how Mom would react.

Yes, it looked fabulous out on the ranch against the deep blue sky and the snow drifts surrounding it. We admired our tree and laughed about Mom’s possible response. What added to the joy of our selection—it was our first year in our new home with much higher ceilings, so the taller the tree, the better.

As we drove home, we prepared for Mom’s comments, rehearsing our answers to her probing questions. We drove up to the front of our house and backed the pickup into the driveway so it would be easier to get the tree out. Already Dad and Bub had lamented about the sticky sap on their hands.

My part of the plan was to distract Mom while the guys brought the tree up. I hurried up the walk to get to Mom before she could see what we brought. She stuck her head out the door, quizzing me about the size. Kidding her, I replied, “It’s your size.” Her laugh told me she didn’t believe it.

Can You Believe it? More Holiday Magic!

Normally Dad could carry our tree by himself, but it took both Dad and Bub to carry this one up the sidewalk and lay it on the front porch. As I stood measuring the tree in my mind, the tree seemed to go on forever.

Dad retrieved his hacksaw from the pickup and cut the bottom of the stump off evenly, a usual practice to fit it in the tree stand. The savory pine sap aroma filled the air. Still on its side, he easily slid it into the stand, tightened the bolts, and they stood it up. In our excitement to find the best tree, and thinking our ceiling higher than it was, we made a major mistake!

I held the screen door open, but already I realized we were in trouble. Bub and Dad wrestled to get the tree through the door. They tried to carry it upright in the stand, but it wouldn’t fit, so they laid it out lengthwise and finally shoved it through. Thank God it was freshly cut or pine needles would have scattered everywhere!

Mom watched this show with amusement but was wise enough not to say anything. Dad and Bub set the stand on the floor by the front window, which Mom had cleared to showcase our tree to the passing traffic, and raised the tree.

All four of us gasped at the same time—the tree reached the ceiling and curled down at least a foot! What were we to do now?

What An Ending to This Holiday Magic!

Mom finally chimed in, “Don’t forget to leave room for the star on top.”

Dad took control. “That’s easily fixed.” He and Bub wrestled the tree out the door again. Once it was on the porch, Dad cut a foot and a half off the stump of the tree, and a few lower branches, and brought the shortened tree in and set it up. Dad’s precision cut allowed just enough room for our traditional angel on top.

We stood back and admired our beautiful six-foot-plus piñon pine tree. Already its aromatic fragrance filled the room. Our decorations were stacked in boxes nearby, so now the fun of decorating began.

After our sigh of relief and chuckles, Mom took one last look at our tree before decorating and said, “Next year I’m for sure going with you three so we can get a smaller tree.”

We all laughed, happy with our selection.

From Where Did the Idea of Christmas in July Come?

In 2024, I wrote in my blog about where this advertising idea of Christmas in July came from and shared another chapter of this book:

Hot Weather & Sweating: Christmas in July?

Your Holiday Magic

Do you cut down your own tree now? Did you do it as a child? Any favorite memories? What holiday magic did you enjoy?

Larada Horner-Miller - holiday magic — I believe in holiday magic all year long!

More Holiday Magic! Sale on Paperback: Buy your copy of Hair on Fire – Special Christmas in July Offer!

Don’t let the summer heat keep you from the holiday spirit. For a limited time starting July 13, you can grab your copy of Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming and Humorous Christmas Memoir for just $9.50 (normally $15.00)!

Whether you’re looking for a laugh or a touch of seasonal magic to brighten your July, this is the perfect time to add this collection of memories to your shelf, holiday magic ahead of time.

Click here to buy your copy of Hair on Fire for only $9.50!

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$3.99

Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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Life Lessons · MY LIFE · My Thoughts

A Change of Perspective: Everything Can Changes!

July 5, 2026July 5, 2026 Larada Horner-MillerLeave a comment

A simple change of perspective alters everything, possibly. I had a real-life experience with that today I’d like to share with you.

What Happened Today

This morning, my husband Lin, a good friend and I ate out at one of our favorite restaurants, Olga’s, for a leisure breakfast with plans on going to a basketball tournament in Boquete, Panama afterwards. A player had sent me the directions to the high school gymnasium where it would be played.

When we arrived, we laughed. In reality, it was an outside basketball court. Life is different in Panamá. I had not gone to the restroom when we left the restaurant. So, after a large latte, I needed a bathroom. I looked across the playground and spied a port-a-potty. When I need to go, I need to go! It didn’t matter what it was. I grew up with outhouses, so a port-a-potty was a step up for me.

So, I walked over to it, but upon arriving I saw a padlock on the door. Immediately, I began to plan where to find a bathroom close—a gas station, maybe.

And then it happened—I turned around and in the building near where we had been standing, I saw two modern bathrooms—male and female or mujeres and hombres.

I laughed to myself as I walked over to the bathroom, used it and was pleasantly surprised to see this nice facility had toilet paper too.

Perspective Change

Walking back to our group, I chuckled to myself. Then I thought how often in my life I have had something happen that appeared disastrous only to turn around and look at it differently, and it was a blessing.

Sometimes I locked in on what I thought should have happened. Then after a slight change, I saw this event had many possibilities and I had limited it with my narrow perspective.

Example from the Past

When I was getting my BA at Colorado State University, I wanted to add a minor in Spanish because I had taken a couple trips to Mexico with a friend. I realized then I had more of a command of Spanish than I thought.

The problem: I decided this at the end of my sophomore year, and I didn’t have the money to add another semester of Spanish to my schedule because I would run out of financial aid. The solution: I took the placement test for Spanish and tested out of first quarter Spanish. All is great, right?

The first day of class, the teacher gave us a test and I got a “D.” I never got Ds. I panicked—what could I do? My GPA was mostly A’s—my whole psyche couldn’t accept a D. So, I went to the professor’s office to talk about it the next day.

“Should I drop out?” I asked, so disappointed.. I felt I was in over my head. My dream of a Spanish minor felt out-of-reach.

“No,” he replied, “but this is what you have to do. Don’t miss any classes. Go to the language lab three times a week to listen to the tapes to sharpen your level of efficiency. If you do that, could you settle for a B in this class?”

Shocked, I responded, “Yes, I can accept that.” So I followed his instructions wholeheartedly, and my grade for the class—a B that I worked my tail off for.

But more than that—I loved all my Spanish classes, and I loved the challenge. One summer, I went to Mazatlán with one of my favorite professors from CSU and twelve students for a month. We each stayed with a different family. What a life changing experience that was.

From that minor, I taught Spanish in the middle school for fourteen year and had a blast with it. And today, I have the opportunity to speak Spanish often.

Because I changed my perspective on getting an A, accepted a challenge, this whole experience changed my life.

Changes Can Be Possibilities

By being flexible, which I’m sad to say sometimes I’m not, possibilities loom before me. In so many cases, all I have to do is “let go and let God.”

After three divorces, I could have turned my back on the possibility of a good marriage in my life. But I have always believed in possibilities. I knew I needed a perspective change after my third divorce, so I took a year off from dating to find myself once more. I didn’t judge myself as a failure with the three divorces. In fact, I know that each marriage taught me valuable lessons that have made me who I am today.

Then Lin and I got together and we will celebrate our 15^th anniversary in October—a perspective change and the result of believing in possibilities. My God saved the best for last!

Today, I know that just a slight shift in perspective can make all the differences in the world—a new job, a different hairstyle, and a new life.

Finally,

Many of us know these truths. We just need to be reminded. When has a change in perspective affected your life?

Larada Horner-Miller, perspective — I just changed my perspective and life changed.

Christmas in July Sale until July 11:

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir e-book

ISBN – 978-0996614498

$.99

My Newest Books

Time Measured Out!: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #2 e-book

ISBN – 9798989688654

$3.99 for limited time

Is My Truth Universal?: A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688623

ALWAYS FREE

Was It a Dream?: Navigating Life’s Journey Through Poetry, Book #1 – e-book

ISBN – 979-8989688630

$3.99

My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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