A Very Special Holiday Edition
• A Country Living Christmas Essay • Need The Perfect Gift? Our Holiday Line Is Live! • Or Join Our New Book Club! • And Don't Forget About My Holiday Novels (+ New Book!) • Or, My Writing Workshops!
December 2025 Issue
HAPPY HO-HO-HOLIDAYS!
Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. My grandma, Viola Shipman, instilled the meaning and magic of Christmas from the earliest of ages (as you can see in that first picture!). Though our parents and grandparents may be gone, Gary and I continue to bring their lives and light — as well as the beauty of the holidays — to life through the traditions, decorating, recipes and faith they taught us. We decorate 11 trees (yes, 11!), we bake cookies, we watch movies, we make Clark Griswold look completely normal. In my next Substack — in advance of Christmas — I will take you on a “holiday stroll” through our home and decorations (trees, tinsel tree villages, snow globe collections, felted tree skirts, manger scenes and thousands of heirloom ornaments) as well as a beloved holiday recipe. And if you’d like to join us LIVE for our holiday home stroll, Christmas craft day and holiday party, please follow me HERE ON FACEBOOK for photos and WINE & WORDS WITH WADE every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET. In the meantime, I wrote a special holiday essay (below) that I hope reminds you to embrace the spirit of the season!
A Special Christmas Essay from Me … to YOU!
I was honored to be asked by Country Living — one of my favorite magazines — to write a Christmas essay for their December/January holiday issue. My essay, Grandma Knows Best, is about how our beloved pets keep us connected to loved ones and the memories of Christmases past. It is featured on the final page of the magazine and was a joy to write. If your beloved pets — whether with you now or just in your memory — have been a special part of your holiday celebrations over the years, I hope this essay touches your heart. (And check out our new holiday gift line that features Gerti-inspired presents for the dog lover in your life! Santa approved!)
The artist for Country Living did a MAGICAL job of capturing the essence of our beloved dogs — Marge, Mabel, Doris & Gerti — in her illustration for the essay!
LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT? LOOK NO FURTHER! ANNOUNCING OUR CHRISTMAS & HANUKKAH GIFT LINE!
Our Viola Holiday Gift Line Is Now LIVE! All new designs!
SHOP IT NOW!
Celebrate Christmas & Hanukkah with our one-of-kind gifts!
Support two small businesses this holiday season!
All gifts feature funny/sweet holiday quotes from my novels!
❤️ Our dog Gerti-inspired gifts are perfect for dog lovers
💚 “You Can’t Spell Christmas without Wine!” is a simple truth
❤️ “Welcome to the Nuthouse” is a fab, funny family gift
💚 “Lights, Love, Latkes” will be a hit for Hanukkah
❤️ “Snow Angels Are Winter’s Way of Saying Hello to God”
💚 “All Booked for Christmas” is ideal for book lovers
❤️ “Live in the Moment Today” pine-scented, all-natural candles
These designs and sayings come in ceramic & cork coasters, wine glasses, tumblers, aprons, ornaments, journals, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies & more! YOU customize the size & color! Order today & all will arrive early for Hanukkah & Christmas!
HOLIDAY SHOP WITH US NOW & SEE OUR ENTIRE GIFT LINE HERE!
Our Brand New (& VERY fun!) Book Club Starts in January! Have you joined? Why not? Perfect Gift for Your Book Lover!
JOIN NOW!
Chapter Chat with Gary & Kat (and yours truly) kicks off next month, and this is a book club for ALL readers and book lovers, not those simply focused on one genre, or the latest NYT list, but those who relish reading a range of books, from debuts to classics.
• This is for readers like Gary, who struggled with reading growing up and relishes the support of a book community. It’s for voracious readers like Kat, who enjoy a vast range of stories and brings a contagious joy and unbridled love for books and authors. It’s for readers like me: I want to bring you authors I know and love - from NYT bestselling authors to debut authors whose books I feel deserve attention - to your attention. I want you to enjoy more than just a bland discussion of a book: I want you to laugh and get to know the author, I want to cry with you over passages that move me, and I want to bring my new work to you first. I also wanted to deepen the connections we have made via WINE & WORDS WITH WADE and focus more deeply on the books that touch my heart and that I know will touch yours as well.
• We want this to be FUN! CHAPTER CHAT WITH GARY & KAT (and me!) will be loaded with bookish parties, playlists, recipes, cooking, cocktails & crafts ... and LOTS of LAUGHS!
• We want this to be PERSONAL & INTERACTIVE! Chapter Chat will meet twice a month, so we can go deep with the author & also go deep with YOU about the book!
• BIG BONUS: We will be bringing you my 2 new novels in 2026 so that you will be among the first to read & hear about them!
• Finally, I started this because I love books … and you!
We are offering SO much our first year including:
* In-Depth Discussion Guides
* Recipes to match the book!
* Signature drinks for the book!
* Music playlists to match the book’s characters, mood & themes!
* Private interactive Facebook Group (just for members)
* Pop up live videos (cooking, crafting that fit the book)
* Variety of digital goodies & gifts each month, from printables, phone & desktop wallpaper & more
*Members receive a 10% discount on TomKat Designs Studio & Viola Creations Merchandise
* Two (2!) Monthly Meetings! Including a FACEBOOK LIVE with Wade, Gary, Kat AND our chosen author the first Tuesday of the month (at 7 p.m. ET) + book discussion/book club Zoom for members only the third or fourth Thursday of each (depending on holidays, at 8 p.m. ET)
* Books & authors (along with book club meeting times) will be announced quarterly to give you time to read the books (but we also want to surprise you as we go!); personalized indie bookstores will be selected for you to support, but we also know many of you will get your books from your beloved library
* BONUS: If you join right now for the year, you receive a $24 savings!!!
• 2026 Annual Subscription •
JOIN NOW FOR THE YEAR! $24 SAVINGS!
Billed once $71.88 ($5.99 a month)
$24.00 savings (Sign up NOW to receive this discount)
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• Quarterly Subscription for Jan.-Feb.-Mar. •
JOIN NOW QUARTERLY!
Billed once $23.97 (7.99 a month)
*Actual Books are not included
*Non-Refundable
Sign up today! Make Friends Who Love Books!
Let’s Read Together (and maybe even change the world a bit)!
I’M HOSTING 3 WRITING WORKSHOPS (INCLUDING 1 ON SATURDAY)!
• SIGN UP FOR MY DEC. 13 QUERY/AGENT WORKSHOP!
• SIGN UP FOR JAN. 10 FACE YOUR FEAR/FIND YOUR VOICE WORKSHOP!
• SIGN UP FOR MY FEB. 7 FOCUS ON YOUR MANUSCRIPT WORKSHOP!
***SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1:30-3:30 PM ET***
“Writing the Perfect Query Letter & Securing the Perfect Literary Agent!”
*ONLY $45! (non-refundable but may be applied to future class)
HUGE NEWS: CeCe Lyra, an agent from MY literary agency (Wendy Sherman Associates) will join us LIVE!
Are you ready to take the next step in your writing journey? Just want to be prepared with the best information when you finish your book? Want to hear about the query letter I wrote that secured three offers of representation and an agent that has helped me publish 21 books? Want to hear from one of the best literary agents in publishing?
You’ve written a book! Congratulations! Hard truth? Nobody wants to read it … unless you write the perfect query letter. I call publishing BART: Business meets ART. Yes, it’s art. But, first and foremost, it’s a BIG business, and you must learn the tricks of the trade to give yourself the best chance to be traditionally published. I will teach you how to write a winning query (sharing my letter that led to three offers of representation without any connections in the publishing world), how to search the vast sea of agents to find the perfect (and legitimate!) agent who will be the ideal fit for you, your genre and your career plus what it’s like to work with an agent (what they do for writers, etc.). I will also take your questions throughout to ensure your specific questions are being addressed. BONUS: CeCe Lyra, an agent from MY literary agency (Wendy Sherman Associates will join us LIVE to talk with you and discuss the do’s & don’t of writing queries, what she & agents look for in a query & client + she will listen to your query letter if you have one ready! CeCe is a member of the Association of American Literary Agents and a co-host of the hugely popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing which has over four million downloads. SIGN UP NOW!
***SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 1:30 PM ET***
Facing Your Fear, Finding Your Voice & Focusing on Your Work!
$75.00 — Three-hour workshop (Space is limited!) Includes time for YOU to ask questions! (non-refundable but may be applied to future workshops
I will lead you through how fear stops us from finding our authentic voice in life AND writing, and how unlocking that voice is the key to writing a great book. Plus: I will teach you How to Start & Finish A Book (plus navigating the middle), the 3H’s (humor + heartbreak = honesty) as well as Completing Your Manuscript: Personal Q&A with Wade. SIGN UP NOW!
***SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1:30-5:30 PM ET***
Focusing on YOUR Work in Progress! Let’s Talk about YOUR Book!
$150/4-Hour Workshop • Max 12 participants! (Non-refundable but may be applied to future workshops)
This small, deeply personal and intensive workshop will focus solely on YOUR work in progress. After a short, personal introduction about my work and how I feel in the midst of writing a book, the group and I will listen to the elevator pitch of your work in progress (1-minute max) plus a 5-7 minute excerpt of your work in progress (this can be the opening, middle, end, or two short pieces from different places in your work), but this reading should give a clear picture of the work and/or where you need help. I will give my constructive advice on the shared work (and pitch), and then ask where you are stuck, concerned, thrilled, need help, etc. The group will also have a chance to share constructive feedback that is grounded in kindness.
Participation is maxed at twelve, so each writer will have roughly 20 minutes of time. Time at the end will be open for questions from participants that may have been missed or arose during the workshop. Have your work heard in this amazing session! SIGN UP NOW!
HOLIDAY BOOK GIFT GUIDE! NEED A BOOK FOR THE HOLIDAYS? MAY I SUGGEST ONE OF MINE?
Did you know I’ve written three holiday novels (The Secret of Snow, A Wish for Winter and The Wishing Bridge) and three holiday novellas (Christmas in Tinsel Tree Village, A Sugarplum Christmas and Christmas Angels) all of which bring the magic, meaning and beauty of winter and the holidays to life?
Plus, the New York Post and Hour Detroit Magazine suggested putting ME under your tree this year (well, not me, although I would happily sit under your tree for some eggnog and frosted sugar cookies!), but my books!
The Post named my upcoming novel, THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR, as one of the “45 cozy gifts that’ll warm hearts this holiday season.” They wrote: “Full of heart, humor, and friendship, That’s What Friends Are For is the perfect cozy gift to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love with your chosen family. Think The Golden Girls meets four gay men and Palm Springs fabulousness. Wade Rouse is quick-witted and heartfelt with every last word. You’re going to love this read, so buy one for a gift and the other to read stat!”
And Hour Detroit named THE PAGE TURNER as part of their annual Book Gift Guide of Michigan Authors for The Feel-Good Fiction Fan! They wrote: “By Wade Rouse (writing under Viola Shipman), Saugatuck/Douglas-based. Follows a young romance writer who makes a discovery that could throw her literary elitist family into chaos!”
Wanna make your book lover happy? Put me under the tree!
To order my books, or to preorder That's What Friends Are For (most of which are currently on sale for the holidays!), visit my websites HERE & HERE!
I’ll be back soon with a special Christmas issue packed with holiday decorating, recipes and Christmas stroll of our bedecked, bedazzled home! Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays!
TY & hope you love!
Your article is so beautiful and touching.
The ARC is next on my TBR!