Stefanie Sloane: On the eleventh day of Christmas …

Twelve romance authors are celebrating the 12 days of Christmas here at HEA with cheer and gifts. We've already welcomed several other authors (links to their posts are at the bottom of this one), and today, we're celebrating with Stefanie Sloane, who has a story in the Naughty and Nice anthology with Ruthie Knox and Molly O'Keefe that came out at the beginning of November. (Stick around until the end of the post to find out how you can win some special prizes from Stefanie. There, you'll also find links to the 12 Days of Christmas posts that have already run.)

Stefanie: You know those dreamy Hallmark holidays you had as a child? Where everyone got along, the food was impeccably cooked and served, and peace on Earth literally landed in your living room?

Yeah, me either.

At my house, Christmas meant chaos. Nerves were frayed by Dec. 1st, thanks to tenuous family ties, a short supply of money, and the constant demand that we enjoy ourselves. Have fun! Make it meaningful! NOW!

And yet, when I got married, for some crazy reason I still cannot fathom, I assumed everything would be different. Suddenly, I was Martha Stewart, Martin Scorsese, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Holy Mother Mary all rolled up into one. Under my direction, the holidays would tick along with skillful precision. Food? Delicious and nutritious. Entertainment? Multiple standing ovations required. Music? From the lips of angels. And meaning? You would have to be the devil himself not to fall to your knees and weep with wonder and awe.

Of course, that first Christmas was a complete disaster. Just like the celebration in the film Home for the Holidays. It's Thanksgiving. Holly Hunter, a single mom just recently fired from her job, travels to Baltimore to be with her family for the holiday. Mayhem ensues. There's a gay brother, bitter sister, mentally sketchy aunt, well-meaning but delusional parents, and one Leo Fish rakishly played by Dylan McDermott.

I know, it sounds like a set-up for your run-of-the-mill cliché-fest. Trust me when I tell you it is anything but. The writing is golden. I still laugh out loud at the dialogue even after many, many viewings. And somehow, director Jodie Foster managed to coax some of the best performances of their careers out of the stellar cast. That's saying a lot when talking about Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Robert Downey Jr. and Holly Hunter.

Home for the Holidays wasn't a huge box office best-selling film. Nothing exploded, no superheroes saved the day and, in the end, life wasn't wrapped up with a satin bow. What it is, though, is a quiet, disarmingly subtle yet unbelievably real portrayal of life and its messy, emotional, heart-wrenching, complex and ultimately magical nature. Which sounds an awful lot like my own holiday experience. And honestly, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

What about you? Visit www.stefaniesloane.com and tell me about one of your most memorable holiday disasters. You'll be entered to win 19 lush and lovely beauty products from Sephora.

I'll get the ball rolling: Christmas morning, 2006. Used the wrong kind of Rhodes rolls in cinnamon roll recipe. Ended up with the Roll That Ate Seattle in my oven. Fun! Now you.

(You can enter all of the 12 Days of Christmas contests through midnight ET Sunday, Nov. 25. Winners will be announced on Monday, Nov. 26.)

And be sure to come back to HEA tomorrow for the 12th Day of Christmas with Jill Shalvis.