Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir

# 1 in 3 E-book Categories on Amazon

• #1 in Christmas
• #1 in Historical U.S. Biographies
• #1 in Christian Inspiration

1st Place – March, 2024 Nonfiction Book Cover Contest on AllAuthors.com

Available in paperback, e-book and audiobook format!

AWARDS

• 2024 Global Book Awards Silver Medalist in Christmas Books Category

• 2024 New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards Finalist in Two Categories:
  • Parenting & Family
  • Philosophy/Religion

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About This Book

Tired of focusing on the stressful hustle and bustle of December? These delightful stories brim with Christmas nostalgia and heartwarming moments.

Are you hoping to rediscover the magic of the winter holidays? Looking for traditional inspiration for your upcoming Xmas parties? Ever wondered what’s behind the twelve days of gift-giving? The daughter of a real cowboy, award-winning author Larada Horner-Miller, grew up in a small rural community in southeastern Colorado. Now she’s using her seventy years of festive experiences to share the true meaning of the season and how to rejoice in its miracles.

My Hair on Fire is a compilation of scripture, poems, and prose all centered around family. Using vivid and humorous language, Horner-Miller reveals a treasure trove of tales that will touch anyone’s heart. And when you immerse yourself in the warmth of her stories, you’ll soon be looking forward to the big day with refreshed anticipation and pure happiness.

In My Hair on Fire, you’ll discover:

• A vibrant celebration of Christmas specialness that will reawaken your inner child
• At look at the mix of sadness and joy that the 25th of December can trigger and why it’s okay
  to embrace them both
• An immersive retelling of what Joseph and Mary experienced on the road to Bethlehem, so you
  can put yourself in the Holy Family’s shoes.
• What the traditions of a New Mexican holiday entail and how to bring them to life
• The reason you should never stand too close to the angels in a pageant, and much, much more!
• My Hair on Fire is a charming collection of Christmas memories told through poetry and prose.
  If you like nostalgic journeys, evocative memoirs, and light-hearted joy, then you’ll love Larada Horner-Miller’s Yuletide gift.

REVIEWS

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir by Larada Horner-Miller is a perfect memoir full of warmth, laughter, and holiday spirit. The story covers the entire life of the author, starting from childhood to adulthood, when she wanders from one city to another. All the chapters focus on diverse aspects of the holiday season, ranging from family gatherings and tree decorations to private ponderings and spiritual experiences. The narrative is full of vivid details and memorable stories; for instance, one of them recounts when the author’s hair caught fire during a Christmas church program. The author uses her memoir to explain how people can look back on their Christmas memories and find joy and meaning in their lives.

Larada Horner-Miller’s writing style is warm and inspiring. Her desire to share the Christmas spirit with readers is felt throughout her writing as readers are transported from the past to the present. She conveys humor excellently with the occasional serious moment, making this memoir an enjoyable read. The flow of details through prose and poetry kept me engaged and connected to the author’s experiences. Her descriptive writing skills took me back to my childhood schooldays when we used to decorate classrooms and sing carols together at Christmas. Her thoughtful and sincere interpretation of the religious significance of Christmas provides a diversion from the commercial aspects of the occasion. I highly recommend Hair on Fire for readers looking for a heartfelt and nostalgic book that captures the true spirit of Christmas.

Zahid Sheikh – July 19, 2024

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Christmas and the days leading to it can be quiet special and memorable. Although, some school of thought are of the opinion that Christmas celebration is no longer as great as it used to be. Nevertheless, Larada indeed went the extra mile to merge the past with the present, about everything Christmas. In addition to recounting her own lovely moments during Christmas, in the years gone by, she also provided practical ideas on how Christmas can be best celebrated.

Granted that Christmas is celebrated for just a day, but the memories that go with it can last a lifetime. Especially, when people are intentional about it. The Christmas carols, the Christmas trees, twinkling lights, Santa Claus, Nativities etc. are some of the unique activities that happen during Christmas celebrations.

Larada also added a fictional touch to the already known Bible stories about the birth of Jesus Christ. She made herself present in real time and was able to communicate with them.

Hair on Fire may appear like a strange name for a book like this, but the contents can make a huge difference about how we celebrate Christmas.

Truly, the best Christmas celebration shouldn’t be the ones we experienced during childhood. With the help of this book, we can enjoy even more exciting ones going forward!

ILoveUniqueBooks.com (4 out of 5 stars) – November 17, 2023

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A charming collection of poems, stories, and memories about Christmastime, Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Christmas Memoir by Larada Horner-Miller is a spirited and inspiring take on the holiday season.

Starting from Joseph and Mary, Horner-Miller has put together a lovely compendium of personal, religious, and cultural anecdotes around Christmas that serve as a gentle way to transition to that wonderfully busy time of year, nudging our own memories forward, and refreshing our knowledge about this festive occasion. Both personal and informative about the holiday season, the book asks questions like when do people put up their Christmas tree, or how do they celebrate Christmas in Spain, while also offering her amusing personal perspective on the holiday.

With light and easygoing prose, the author recalls her past Christmases, such as that one time she traveled across Europe, or when she Christmas-carolled in minus six-degree weather. Written from a religious perspective, the book keeps an airy tone when considering the more spiritual aspects of Christmas, without ever preaching, but simply basks in the pleasures of communion with one’s family and community.

Throughout, Horner-Miller’s enthusiasm is contagious, reminding readers of both the sacred basis of the holiday season, and the joy it can bring to families, which will delight anyone who celebrates the holiday.

Self Publishing Review – November 1, 2023

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Saturated in warmth and seasonal radiance, this charming memoir twinkles with good tidings of comfort and joy. Delightful!

SYNOPSIS

Brimming with heartfelt anecdotes, nostalgic escapades, and timeless humor, Hair on Fire is a Christmas memoir like no other. It will warm your heart, make you laugh uproariously, and transport you back to the most magical time of the year. So grab a hot cocoa and snuggle under a cozy blanket while Horner-Miller beguiles with her tales!

If love for a holiday can shine through print, these pages would glow.

Redolent with the joy of the season, this charming memoir captures the season’s thrill of hope with eloquence and ebullience. It offers creative ideas to augment, enhance, and deepen your own Christmas celebrations and extend the holiday season beyond Christmas Day. While sharing some celebratory traditions and reflections, the author’s own story is tucked into the text along with choice Christmas memories from yesteryear. These will resonate especially well with readers of a certain age. Creative ideas, insights, and inspiration galore will help make your season bright. Also Tamales! Luminarias! Epiphany! Indeed, Hair on Fire will have you humming Silent Night faster than you can say “Jim and Della Dillingham Young.” (You’ll get that if you know your O. Henry.)

The writing is bright and cozy. The book opens with Mary and Joseph and winds down with same. In between there’s a hefty helping of nostalgia that’s as rich and welcoming as chestnuts roasting on an open fire. (Oh, those silver Christmas trees of yesteryear! The Sears Wish Book! And yep, I did know the liturgical background for The Twelve Days of Christmas.)  The illustrations and photos are priceless! And the hair on fire thing? That’s explained in the Introduction and Chapter 7. Nestled into the narrative are bits and pieces of the author’s own story, including a divorce and the loss of an adopted child.

Saturated in warmth and seasonal radiance, this charming book will thaw the heart of even a pre-redemptive Scrooge. Most chapters are short, twinkling with tidbits of good tidings, comfort, and joy. (Tip: Don’t miss the short story in Chapter 28. Just sayin’.)  Most chapters conclude with interrogatories designed to engage the reader and prompt reflection, remembrances, or both. Such as, “Are similar traditions like mine important to you? Do you have different ones?” Or, “Do you have a favorite Christmas memory that has affected your whole life? How old were you? How did it affect you?”

The gentle prose skillfully conjures up “childhood images and excitement” while offering a “Christ-centered yet celebratory” look at the holy day, anchored in “the magic of the Nativity and the Christ child.’” Readers young and old are encouraged to unwrap their own favorite Christmas memories and/or create new ones. (The injection of politics into the narrative a la January 6 is unfortunate. It may leave some readers scratching their heads.)

The closing pages include an Appendix with a recipe (yum!) and lists of the author’s favorite Christmas Readings and Christmas Movies. Readers of a certain age will recognize all or most on both lists.

Finally, tip-toeing through Hair on Fire is like taking a walk down Memory Lane with a good friend. It’s like sitting down with a hot cuppa. Plopping in a peppermint stick. Dusting off an old LP of Bing Crosby crooning White Christmas or Evie Tornquist Karlsson singing Come on Ring Those Bells while the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful. Let it glow! Let it glow! Let it glow!

Kristine L. – October 23, 2023