Romance Guests - Long and Short Reviews

GUEST BLOG: DANIELLE THORNE

2012-01-27T04:00:00.002-05:00

What I Learned From a Hobbit
Part of being a good writer is being a reader, and I don't often get the chance to indulge in reading for pleasure these days. It's ironic, since books have been my biggest inspiration in life. Recently, I sat down for almost three days and indulged myself in a Lord of the Rings marathon. As much as I would have liked to have time to actually sit down and read the books (and I plan to with my ten year old who let me read The Hobbit to him last year), I did get a lot out of the movie and took some time to reflect on the beauty of Tolkien's imagination and the wisdom in his messages.

Every time I write a story, whether it's a romance or some far flung adventure, I am conscious of the messages that I send out with my characters. While I'm certainly no genius at integrating life changing morals into epic tales, I am fully aware of the impact of what my stories say. It's my hope that with my sea adventures, the reverence I have of the oceans comes through the pages. With Historicals, I strive to bring the beauty and innocence of the past to life. So many lessons behind us have been forgotten. Maybe in his own way, that's what Tolkien was trying to do, too.

Here are ten things that I have learned from the hobbits of the Shire:

Life was meant to be an adventure.
Never, never, never quit.
Faith will always find a way.
There is no greater gift than a loyal friend.
Power is a heavy burden to those who are true, and a weapon for the wicked.
No one is flawless.
To die with a friend, is to go in peace.
Trees have feelings, too.
To choose not to act, is to fail what is right.
There is no place like home…

I know there are more messages, all more profound, in the story of Frodo and his ring that I haven't even begun to unravel. I wish I'd taken the time to jot down my thoughts as I watched the films, but that they still linger on my mind is proof of the profound influence a good book can have. I wish each of you a wonderful new year full of books (and epic film interpretations) that bring inspiration, wisdom, happiness -- and yes, adventure.

Danielle Thorne
Author of Historical and Contemporary Romantic Adventures
www.DanielleThorne.com
Follow my blog! http://www.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com

About the Author: Danielle Thorne is the author of sweet romantic adventure books, both historical and contemporary. She currently writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. Besides contract editing and writing full time, Danielle has four sons with her husband, Rob. Together they enjoy travel and the outdoors.

Backlist
THE PRIVATEER (Desert Breeze Publishing)
BY HEART AND COMPASS (Desert Breeze Publishing)
JOSETTE (Whimsical Publications)
TURTLE SOUP (Smashwords)
SOUTHERN GIRL, YANKEE ROOTS (Willow Moon Publishing)
Coming Soon: DEATH CHEATER, February 2012

GUEST BLOG: KAT DUNCAN

2012-01-26T04:00:00.003-05:00

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Please click on the banner for a complete list of tour stop. Kat will be awarding a gift basket worth over $15 of Irish items to one randomly drawn commenter (US/Canada only please).

Please tell us a little about yourself...

I'm a creation extremist and avid explorer of knowledge. I value creativity, am a non-conformist and a die-hard do-it-yourselfer. When I turn my attention to a topic, I explore it thoroughly, turning over every convention, questioning and examining in a Socratic way until I understand. And then I seek out ways to share what I’ve learned with others. I have a variety of interests and friends who often fall into factions that can’t seem to understand one another except that they all have a common friend in me. I’m a naturally optimistic person and have trouble understanding human emotions of greed and anger. I believe that negative emotions like these are due to some underlying fear that, once confronted, can be overcome.

Please tell us a little about your book....

Stalked by a killer bent on stealing her laboratory notebook, scientist Molly Augur is desperate to figure out who she can and cannot trust. With the help of co-researcher Bill Banely, she uses DNA technology she invented to prove she can release hidden ancestral memories. In the brain synapses of her mind she finds one person who may know the truth - her long dead ancestor, Mailsi, whose life memories have been recorded in the depths of Molly’s genes.

Ancient passions and betrayals come alive and collide with the present when Molly discovers philanthropist Dr. Philman, with a secret billion dollar need for the technology only she possesses could be the one after her notebook. And Bill, whose wandering heart she has finally won, is working for Philman. In the face of limitless money, what is the value of Bill’s love? Or the value of her life? The answers lie deep within the synapses of her mind.

What inspired you to pen this particular novel?

I had one of those "what if" moments when I thought about all the as yet unidentified genes in DNA and what knowledge they might hold. Scientists speculate that all of those genes that are now inactive were at one time actively being used. I wondered what they were used for and whether unlocking them would reconnect us with our ancestors and their memories. Synapse explores some interesting possibilities for our own DNA to help us understand who we truly are. It also shows us that no matter what we learn about the past, it is our own choices right now that create our future.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first considered myself a writer in high school when I wrote a poem that was read aloud to the class. Before that I hadn't really written anything that was delivered to an audience. When the class commented positively on the poem and asked me questions to explore its meanings, writing suddenly had a whole new aspect for me: entertaining readers. I was hooked.

How do you keep your story flowing?

With action. For me the most engaging stories have lots of things happening. By that I don't mean violent fights, car chases and thrilling roller coaster rides. I want the characters to be doing something, not sitting around thinking. Even when Molly and Bill are thinking about what's happened to them, or trying to figure out what to do next, they are busy doing things.

Do you ever run into writer's block, and if so, what do you do to get past it?

I've only once run into writer's block and I turned to my part time writing partner for help. I was having trouble finishing a manuscript set in medieval Scotland. I just got stuck about a third of the way through. No problem, I just shifted my attention to other projects thinking the words would come when they were ready. But they didn't and many months went by before I could face that manuscript. After he wrote a synopsis of the story in modern terms, I was able to push through and see what I needed to write. So if you are stuck with writer's block don't suffer in silence, ask for help!

What is your writing process like? Do you have any quirks, or must-haves to write?

No quirks or must-haves, but I'm fickle, so I need to have several projects going at once. I might be brainstorming one story, drafting another, editing a third, polishing a forth, etc. I write medieval historicals as well as romantic suspense, so I can flip time-frames as well as writing tasks and that keeps my brain and my writing fresh.

Where do you hope your books/writing will be in the future?

I'm interested in some mainstream topics right now, such as politics and economics. I'm also into cross genres, in fact, Synapse is a bit of sci-fi a bit of romance and a bit of suspense all rolled into one. I'd also love to get back to my fantasy novel series. It's a sweeping classic fairies, dragons, elves and sorcerers story and should be a lot of fun to share.

What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I hope they will be whisked away to a different world for a little while and come away with a new way of looking at things.

What is one piece of advice you received that you carry with you in your writing?

“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer." –Barbara Kingsolver

What is one piece of advice you would give to new and aspiring writers?

Be selfish. Don't carve out little bits of spare time to write. Let writing take over your life. You won't regret it. If you really have the desire to write, your family and friends will understand. And do take the time to learn the craft, you may be born with talent, but craft will make your books stand out.

Are you currently working on any new projects? What can we expect from you in the future?

I'm working on a contemporary romance novella, a mainstream political novel about the origins of the US Constitution, as well as another medieval historical.

Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a pleasure having you and I wish you much success in the future.

About the Author: Kat Duncan is a creation extremist who is doing her best to identify human creativity and free it from captivity, one student at a time. As a young child, Kat once tried to confess the telling of her stories to her parish priest because she thought they fit the definition the nuns gave for telling a lie. With her lies fully sanctioned and blessed by church authorities, Kat has been telling her lies ever since and writing stories to entertain and enlighten. After a successful career as a software engineer, Kat decided she needed something different to do. She's now a tutor of adolescents with special needs.
Find the Author Online:
Web: http://www.katduncan.net
Blog: http://www.katduncan.net/writeabout
Twitter: @write_about
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/writeabout

GUEST BLOG: KETA DIABLO

2012-01-24T04:00:00.006-05:00

This is a stop of the Virtual Blog Tour. Please leave a comment to be entered into the drawing for a download of the winner's choice of any of Keta's books, excluding Dark Night of the Moon.About Dark Night of the Moon:

Dark Night of the Moon is the second book in the series and the sequel to Holding on to Heaven.

Creed Gatlin flees to Arizona intent on eradicating the haunting memories of his brother’s wife. Brand Gatlin, presumed dead, resurfaces after a long absence and with his re-emergence, the destinies of those he loves is altered forever.

In a land rife with war and danger, Sage must travel to the village of her husband’s People. There, she is reunited with Crooked Back, the ancient healer. On the long trek back to Full Circle, devious plots are underfoot and peril lurks around every corner for Sage, Lauren and Peter Pa.

Dark Night of the Moon will take you on an unforgettable journey of war, violence, overwhelming grief, and finally, love.

* * *

Hello everyone,

Thanks so much for stopping by today for my blog tour! I'm really excited about the release of Dark Night of the Moon. Did you know the novel is a wolf shapeshifter? Why do you think we're so fascinated by shapeshifting -- the ability of man (woman) to turn into animals? I'm really intrigued with wolf-shifters and bird-shifters, though not entirely there yet on rodent shifters and bear shifters. I suppose there's an audience for everything though –lol.

The wolf in Dark Night of the Moon is a gray wolf. In wolf form he’s called Wa-kan-man-nee or Walking Spirit. I spent considerable time learning about this species and dug up some interesting facts you might enjoy. The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is also known as the Arctic wolf, common wolf, Mexican wolf, Plains wolf, timber wolf, and Tundra wolf. At one time, they were the world's most widely distributed mammal, but they've become extinct now in much of Western Europe, Mexico and the US. Their packs have been reduced by almost one-third over the years because we've been led to believe they prey on livestock and humans. In actuality, it's very rare for humans to be attacked by a wolf.

More intriguing facts about the gray wolf:

* Genetic studies confirm the gray wolf is the ancestor of a domestic dog
* They wear their prey down by chasing them until they tire and then attack
* They’re capable of running at speeds of 35-38 miles an hour and can continue at that pace for 20 minutes.
* Their stomachs can hold up to 20 pounds of food and 8 quarts of water (Wow! we're talking serious eating here)
* Mated pairs stay together for life unless one dies (then it's "I'm moving on” time)

* Their sense of smell is weak, but their hearing is very keen. They can hear leaves falling from quite a distance.
* Their jaws are extremely powerful. They kill by biting large chunks of flesh from their prey thereby producing massive blood loss
* Wolves howl to either assemble the pack or to sound the alarm

If you read Dark Night of the Moon, I thought it would be interesting to know about the gray wolf while you turn the pages. I hope you enjoy the book, and wish everyone much luck in the contest! Don't forget to leave your e-mail address in the comment section below in case you win. The blog host will be selecting a winner when the tour is over. Winner will be sent an e-mail and announced on this blog.

Don't forget to leave a short review on Amazon if you read the book, and I'd love for you to follow my blog so you know about all future releases: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com.

Have a great week everyone,

http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
About the Author::

Keta is a multi-published author of paranormal and historical romance and gay fiction. In 2009, her erotic romance Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the RWA Molly contest. In 2010, Keta's entry Phoenix Rising finaled in the Scarlet Boa contest and in 2011 Keta's acclaimed paranormal shifter, Where The Rain is Made, was nominated by Authors After Dark for a Bookie Award and by Deep In The Heart of Romance for Best Romance of the Year.

Many of her books, including her gay fiction series CROSSROADS, have won numerous awards: Top Reviewer's Pick, Recommended Read and Best Book of the Month.

If you'd like to know more about Keta and her latest releases, she haunts the Net here:

Keta's Keep Blog, http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Gay Fiction Blog: http://thestuffofmythandmen.blogspot.com

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY POST!!!

2012-01-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

Randomly, Long and Short Reviews will have a special post on one of their blogs... and it's all about giving things away. Today, anyone who comments on this post will be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon GC. Also, all the comments will count double towards our monthly prize of a $50 GC. All you have to do is answer the following question:Who is your favorite author?

GUEST BLOG: ELISABETH NAUGHTON

2012-01-19T04:00:00.000-05:00

I’m so excited to be here at the Long & Short Reviews today!

Long before I was romance writer—or reader—I was a Soap addict. Not all Soap Operas, mind you, just one: Days Of Our Lives. It was a sick obsession. So sick, in fact, in college I used to schedule my classes around the show. I gave up Soap Operas about the time I found my first romance novel, but every once in a while, in the middle of the day, I’ll flip on the TV and watch for a few seconds. And whenever I do, I always find myself remembering just what it was about those Soaps that hooked me at an early age: the emotional angst, the mystery and suspense, the action and sexy characters. All the things I love in my romance novels today.

One of my favorite Soap story lines was the amnesia plot. When the hero woke up not knowing who he was. This storyline sucked me in every time because I couldn’t wait to see if he’d ever get his memory back. How would his family react to seeing him alive? Would he fall in love with the same woman? Would he be the same or different? I remember spending hours in front of the TV waiting to find out if John Black really was Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives. And when the answer wasn’t what I wanted, I made up my own alternate ending. (This should have been my first clue I was destined for a career as a writer, but, alas, it took several years for me to clue in.)

There’s something both romantic and mysterious about a character who can’t remember who they once were, and that fascination obviously rings true because shows like Once Upon A Time and movies like Unknown are employing the same amnesia plot lines today. Amnesia story lines can—and have been—worked into any genre, from paranormals to contemporaries to thrillers. So long as the amnesia element creates questions, readers (and viewers) can’t wait to find the answers. They keep reading (and watching), which is why writers (Soap Opera writers and mainstream writers) keep on writing them.

My latest release, WAIT FOR ME, is a contemporary romantic suspense with an amnesia twist.

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.

A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.

Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be? As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they’ve both been searching for is finally within reach.

“Full of twists and turns, lies and deception, and the ultimate revenge, WAIT FOR ME is a great romantic suspense read.” —Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick

Are you a fan of amnesia stories? What do you like about them? I’m giving away a copy of WAIT FOR ME to one lucky winner today so leave me a comment to be entered in the drawing!

***

A former junior high science teacher, Elisabeth Naughton traded in her red pen and test tube set for a laptop and research books. She now writes sexy romantic adventure and paranormal novels full time from her home in western Oregon where she lives with her husband and three children. Her work has been nominated for numerous awards including the prestigious RITA® awards by Romance Writers of America, the Australian Romance Reader Awards, The Golden Leaf and the Golden Heart. When not writing, Elisabeth can be found running, hanging out at the ballpark or dreaming up new and exciting adventures. Visit her at www.ElisabethNaughton.com to learn more about her and her books.

GUEST BLOG: VICTORIA CONNELLY

2012-01-18T04:00:00.003-05:00

Tell us about the experience of seeing your first book turned into a movie.

It was an amazing experience! My first book – Flights of Angels – was published in Germany - although it’s now available as an ebook worldwide – and my husband and I flew out to Berlin to see it being filmed. We got to meet the actors and even got to be extras in the film which was incredibly exciting, and the finished product was so lovely. My story is about a young widow who has a group of tiny guardian angels to take care of her and the way they’d filmed the angels was so cute and funny. It’s an experience I’ll never forget.

What led you into writing Austen-related fiction?

I wanted to explore what it was like to be a Jane Austen addict in the modern world. A lot of Austen-related fiction deals with fans who suddenly spiral back in time to Regency England but I hadn’t read anything about modern-day fans other than The Jane Austen Book Club. I’m an Austen fan myself and I wanted to talk to other fans and find out why her books are still so popular 200 years after their first publication.

I’d also been visiting lots of beautiful Jane Austen locations: Chawton in Hampshire, Lyme Regis in Dorset and the gorgeous Georgian city of Bath. They inspired me to write about them and I thought they’d be great settings for my trilogy. It was also a fabulous excuse to read all the books again and watch all the film adaptations – in the name of work, you understand!

What's your favorite part(s) about living in London? Least favorite things about it?

Actually, I’ve just left London for rural Suffolk and I’m much happier in the countryside! I lived in London for eleven years and it was great to be able to attend publishers’ parties and meet all my writer friends. I also adored the fabulous museums and art galleries but I found living there very noisy. There are just so many people all the time and we didn’t have enough space either. We now have a lovely big garden for our hens and dog (with plans to get more of each!) and I can see fields full of horses from my study window! I’m much happier here – you can’t help but be inspired by the beauty and I hope to write many more novels here.

Victoria Connelly grew up in Norfolk before attending Worcester University where she studied English Literature. After graduating, she worked her way through a number of jobs before becoming a teacher in North Yorkshire. In 2000, she got married in a medieval castle in the Yorkshire Dales and moved to London.

Although having had articles and short stories published, it was only when Flights of Angels was published that Victoria was able to realize the dream of becoming a professional writer. Bought in a bidding war between five publishers and released as Unter deinem Stern in Germany, the novel was made into a film for television by award-winning Ziegler Film. Her second novel, The Unmasking of Elena Montella (Wenn es dich gibt), was published in 2007 and her third, Three Graces (Wohin mit der Liebe), was published in 2009.

Her first novel to be published in the UK – Molly’s Millions – came out in 2009. She is currently working on a trilogy about Jane Austen addicts. The first, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, was published in the UK by Avon, HarperCollins, and was published in the US by Sourcebooks in July 2011. The second in the trilogy, The Perfect Hero, was published in the UK in April 2011 and will be published in the US as Dreaming of Mr. Darcy. The third book, Mr. Darcy Forever, will be published in the US in April 2012.

Her next book to be published in the UK will be The Runaway Actress – a romantic comedy about a movie star who swaps Hollywood for the Highlands.

Victoria’s three fantasy rom coms, previously published in Germany, are now available in English on Kindle and other ebook formats.

She lives in rural Suffolk with her artist husband, a springer spaniel and ex-battery hens.

GUEST BLOG: DONNA DEL ORO

2012-01-13T04:00:00.007-05:00

THE FUN AND CHALLENGE OF ON-SITE RESEARCHIs there a correlation between a novel’s verisimilitude and the on-site research that the author does to make the story come alive? You bet there is. Having boots on the ground, so to speak, affords a writer the opportunity to soak in the atmosphere of a place: The sights, sounds, smells, micro-weather changes, and the flow of traffic and people. In essence, the local color and vagaries.

Not to mention, being on-site inspires a lot of ideas for plot and characterization. In June of 2009, my sister and I took a 12-day Globus motorcoach tour that began in London and took in southwest England, Wales, Cornwall, the Republic of Ireland and eventually parts of Scotland. As the motorcoach, full of passengersd from all over the English-speaking world, toured from country to country, our escort guide regaled us with the history, economics, politics and local lore of the area. In addition to learning a lot, we tasted the various fares, tipped a few pints of the local ales and beers, and realized the unique qualities of each region. From the beauty of Cornish farms to the Welsh red-dragon flag, each area bespoke its own quaint history.

This trip was strictly a vacation but before long, ideas for a spy mystery-thriller began spouting like a fountain of muses. Imagine, I thought to myself, an FBI agent recruited by MI-5 to go undercover and investigate an elderly, naturalized American grandmother, suspected of war crimes during World War II. I knew my World War II history, knew that the Republic of Ireland was neutral during the war and that German U-boats sometimes surfaced in the Irish Sea, occasionally dropped off Nazi spies, and even stopped to share some pints of ale with the local Irish. I also knew that the Allied countries of the war had never stopped hunting for Nazi war criminals, and that some of those very Nazis had immigrated to the U.S. under false identities.

Imagine that an elderly woman and her granddaughter could be passengers on a similar motorcoach tour, visiting the grandmother’s home country of Ireland one last time. What if the grandmother, due to coincidences of name and origin, is suspected of being a ruthless Nazi spy, never caught by the Allies, and who allegedly has spent the past sixty-five years of her life in a cocoon of lies?

What if the handsome, single FBI agent, Jake Bernstein—a Jewish-American whose German-born grandfather had narrowly escaped the death camps—finds himself attracted to the suspect’s beautiful granddaughter, Meg? To what extent is Jake tempted to compromise his investigation because of his budding relationship with Meg? Yet, by-the-book Bernstein considers himself fair-minded, and wouldn’t let anything or anyone interfere with an objective investigation. What if the clever, cagey grandmother stays one step ahead of Jake’s investigation? How does she manage that?

Thus was born my first spy thriller, A BODYGUARD OF LIES. The sights and smells I experienced made their way, of course, into the story. In fact, the very personal experiences I had during that tour evoked so many plot points and scenes that my notebook was smoking at the end of each day. First-hand experiences, nearly not as exciting as the story I envisioned, were sometimes not enough. In certain chapters, for example, such as Cardiff, Killarney and the Irish Stud Farm, I supplemented first-hand experiences with city maps and tourist brochures.

In capturing the dialect of the local people, however, on-site experience was vital. I doubt the local jaunty cart driver realized that I was capturing nearly word-for-word his little, humorous spiel. Yep, his schtick showed up in my novel and still makes me laugh when I read it. Had I not walked the streets of Killarney, I would never have known that two Saint Mary churches were located near each other. One was a Catholic cathedral and the other was a small, Episcopalian church. That distinction played an important role in my story and helped to convince Jake Bernstein that Mary McCoy Snider wasn’t who she claimed to be. I kept filling my notebooks as the plot and characters crystallized in my mind, each little detail of local life inspiring another plot point or character quirk.

Our later visit to Hannover, Germany to visit our good German friends, the Sandrocks and their daughter, Steffi, resulted in the chapters set in Berlin and Hannover. Learning that Hannover, in northern Germany, was 90% destroyed by Allied bombs during WW II helped me to add nuances of sympathy and depth to otherwise stock neo-Nazi characters. The Engesohde cemetery in Hannover became the site of the story’s shattering climax. I could not have written those scenes without walking the very steps taken by Meg and her grandmother.

Researching the history online or in books, for me, is never enough. For me, the story and characters come alive more believable—and more enjoyably as a writer—when I can travel in my characters’ footsteps. See what they see, hear what they hear, and so on. I know that my stories benefit greatly from going the extra mile.

About the Author: Donna Del Oro spent her childhood in two places, Silicon Valley, CA and the countryside of East Texas, as her father tried several job opportunities. Finally settling in Silicon Valley, she grew up in a bilingual, bi-cultural world--Spanish on her mother's side and English on her father's. Comfortable in both worlds, she decided upon retiring from teaching to write about her Hispanic side. Four women's fiction books resulted and a series about professional singers, their careers and love lives. Retired and devoting much of her abundant free time to exercise, writing, singing and her grandson, Donna has finally reached a point in life that totally satisfies her. Life is good and she has no complaints, just a lot of gratitude for her many blessings.

Find Donna online at:
www.DonnaDelOro.com

Lady Justice has a long memory as FBI analyst Jake Bernstein investigates a suspected Nazi spy wanted for war crimes.A BODYGUARD OF LIES is a riveting blend of romantic thriller, mystery and WWII espionage. A Jewish-American FBI analyst, Jake Bernstein, is recruited by MI-5 to go undercover and investigate a naturalized American grandmother. The elderly woman is suspected by MI-5 of being a notorious Nazi spy wanted for war crimes. Jake Bernstein runs into a series of complications: This spy knows a secret that could endanger the British royal family; his attraction to the old woman’s beautiful granddaughter; an Irish, neo-Nazi group tries to kill him; and all the while, a clever, cagey old woman stands in the way of justice.

GUEST BLOG and GIVEAWAY: LINDA ENGMAN

2012-01-10T04:00:00.004-05:00

You Can Never Have Too Much Romance
by
Linda Engman

* Flowers, Moonlight, Hearts, Roses, Champagne, Paris, Candlelight, Diamonds...Romance.

You can never have too much romance. That’s the tag line for my website and, on my website’s Welcome page, I state most women would agree. But on a daily basis do we actually receive flowers, go to Paris, open velvet boxes containing diamonds, or drink Champagne? I think it’s safe to say most of us don’t. Maybe that’s why romance books are the leading seller of fiction today; instant romance. And we ladies don’t have to wait for a special occasion or a holiday or for our guy to remember an anniversary date—to be romanced.

I can’t think of anything more fun to write about than falling in love. Taking two characters and having them fall for each other through the course of a story is the ultimate for me. I also love to have my hero and heroine travel a very romantic path together in order to find true love with each other. This leads to lots of fun twists and turns. In my first book I’ve Got You, auto mechanic Josh Craig seemingly doesn’t have a chance with attorney Amber Bradley—until they find common interests and grow together as a couple. In Falling For You, attorney Heather Grant and hockey star Cooper Gerhardt definitely are not looking for love—but somehow they manage to fall for each other in a unlikely romantic way and at the same time find what has been missing in their lives. In Manhattan Holiday, my romance novel just released in December, the love story between legal assistant April Sutton and developer Roman Vasquez is all believing in love at first sight—and trusting yourself, and the one you fall in love with. Pretty romantic if you ask me.

So if you need a daily dose of romance in between those special occasions or anniversary’s...pick up a romance novel, snuggle in a comfy chair, and fall in love. Enjoy!

Leave a comment to be included in a drawing for a PDF of Manhattan Holiday, as well as to be included in our monthly drawing. Please be sure you also leave your email address.

About the Author: Linda Engman loves to write contemporary romances about falling for someone when you least expect it. Her novels are set in small hometowns and other times in fast-paced big cities, and always sexy and romantic. When she's not writing she loves shopping for cute heels, playing tennis, spending time with her family, and lives in northwest Wisconsin on a lake with her husband, two teenagers, and two dogs.

Visit Linda's website/blog at www.LindaEngman.com.

MANHATTAN HOLIDAY-Get Ready For a Very Romantic Holiday

Recently jilted, legal assistant April Sutton is ready to find a way to forget her ex-fiancé and the heartache she’s been carrying around snowy Manhattan. With the New Year holiday approaching she’s determined to restart her life. Never in her wildest dreams does she expect a last minute marriage to dynamic Roman Vasquez, along with a sultry weekend trip and a romantic dream wedding, to do the trick.

In order to meet the New Year’s Eve deadline of his grandfather’s will, successful developer Roman Vasquez will do whatever it takes. Even if it means giving up his bachelor status and convincing an unwilling April Sutton to tie the knot. Although he finds all it takes to persuade her is—one kiss, a contract, and the wedding of her dreams.

Will Roman and April keep it all business...or let the magic of the holiday season, along with meddling friends, family, and hidden feelings turn their temporary whirlwind marriage into everlasting love?

GUEST BLOG: AVERY FLYNN

2012-01-06T04:00:00.003-05:00

The Ideas Cramming My Brain
By
Avery Flynn

Where does inspiration come from? Everywhere.

A DRY CREEK BED is Beth and Hank’s love story at heart, but the mystery surrounding them involves the trifecta of villainous motivations: revenge, land and greed.

First, let me set it up a bit for you.

In A DRY CREEK BED, readers discover Beth Martinez still mourning the deaths of the grandparents who raised her after her parents died in a car accident. Beth has seen her share of tragedy, including having the dream of starting her own family ripped away from her. Though quietly in love with Hank for years, she knows they’ll never be together. Hank, now the Dry Creek County sheriff and divorced from his first wife who lied to him about her desire to have children, wants a family, something Beth can never have and can’t give him. Despite their mutual desire for each other and Hank’s determination to pursue her, she manages to keep him at a distance.

All Beth has left of her family is the home built by her grandfather. So when a mysterious developer makes an offer on the property, she refuses. Soon she’s receiving threats and can no longer hide what’s happening from Hank. Forced together by circumstances, it becomes harder and harder for them to rein in their passion. Suddenly, the stakes go higher. Coercion turns into murder and it’s up to Beth and Hank to uncover who wants the land and why—before they both end up dead.

I have to go back to one of my favorites, Gone With the Wind, for the first nugget of inspiration for A DRY CREEK BED. In it, Scarlett’s dad tells her it’s all about land and in Nebraska that’s true, too. My stepfather recently sold his farm and it was heartbreaking for him. He thought he’d be farming it until he dropped in the hayfield. That got me thinking about the importance of land and how it can tie families together. The question that popped into my head was: what if the land is the only tie you have left to your family; what would you do if someone tried to take it away?

From that developed the villain of A DRY CREEK BED, a mystery developer pushing people off their land. Beth is the only person standing between the developer and millions in profits. Verbal threats morph into vandalism which morphs into physical violence. It’s up to Hank and Beth to uncover decades-old secrets, revealing that all is not what it seems in their rural Nebraska home.

Inspiration strikes all the time and I have far more ideas rolling around my brain than I’ve had time to write - thank God for the little notebooks I carry everywhere. These ideas slow roast in my noggin for a few weeks, months, and years until their time comes. Usually I know it’s time when the characters start popping up in my dreams. Then I know I have to get my butt in the seat and my fingers on the keyboard.

About the Author: Romantic suspense novelist Avery Flynn’s first Dry Creek novel, Up a Dry Creek, was published in 2011. Her latest, A DRY CREEK BED, has just been released by Evernight Publishing.

Born and raised in western Nebraska, the setting of her fictional town of Dry Creek, she now lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area. There she continues to write and work at her day job while enjoying her own happily ever after with her husband, three children and two dogs. She dreams of one day having a floor-to-ceiling library, à la Beauty and the Beast, and is working to perfect the coffee IV drip. She is delighted to have her first two books published and to be hard at work on High and Dry Creek, her third Dry Creek novel.

Find Avery on the web at www.AveryFlynn.com or www.EvernightPublishing.com.

GUEST BLOG: BERENGARIA BROWN

2012-01-05T04:00:00.003-05:00

Writing Regency Romances
by
Berengaria Brown

I’ve written several Regency romances. I adore Georgette Heyer and love the Regency era so it was natural for me to try writing a few romances set then myself.But it’s a lot of work, checking all the facts, and making sure characters don’t act like twenty-first century people. Women had basically no rights back then, so life was very different. But, none-the-less, women managed to make their dreams come true. They just used different methods from how we might do things today.

A well-born woman couldn’t just leave home, get a job in an industry that interested her, rent an apartment, and live alone. None of those steps was possible. She had to be chaperoned 24/7, preferably by an older male family member, although an older married female would do. She couldn’t rent property, or open a bank account, or work in most areas. Governessing or being a companion was about the limit of the options open to her. This means plots need to be built around the conventions of the day.

Every time I finish writing a Regency story I say, “It’s too much work. Never again.” And yet…

The third and final book in my Regency series about the Arnott family, Virgins No More will be out in January.

Book 1: The Vicar’s Virgin

The Reverend Mr. Ridley needs a wife so he focuses his attentions on Georgina Arnott, a sensible, intelligent, yet attractive woman.

On their wedding night he’s relieved to discover she enjoys the pleasures of the bed, and, after a slow start, their evenings are full of passion and joy for both of them.

Unfortunately, when she takes an interest in his parish, it seems to involve filling his house with noisy people tramping muddy boots through the hallways, and filling his kitchen with dirty children.

He loves his wife. But can this marriage work?

Book 2: Almost a Virgin

Theodora has loved John Smith ever since she was a little girl. But he’s very wealthy and she is only a vicar’s daughter and sister.

John had been waiting for Theodora to grow up. When he kisses Theodora in the garden at the ball, lust roars through him and he takes her there in the garden, fully dressed, only a few yards away from a hundred people. She’s warm and more than willing in his arms, and it’s not until the deed is done that he realizes he’s just dishonored his best friend’s sister.

Theodora doesn’t regret what she’s done. She enjoyed it and wants more of him. Even though he’s only marrying her because he dishonored her, she doesn’t care. She’ll make him so happy in bed and in his home he’ll stay with her even though he may never love her.

Book 3: A Promising Virgin

Zethan, Earl of Mitcham, decides that the stunningly beautiful Miss Sapphira Arnott will make him the perfect wife. It’s only when she declines his oh-so-flattering offer, that he realizes how rude and arrogant he’d been, and how much he loves her. The only solution is to woo her properly.

Meanwhile Simeon Arnott is in love with Miss Anne Smith. But she’s incredibly rich and he’s a mere Baronet. Fortunately her brother and she herself accept his proposal and they have an extremely successful wedding night. Their ball, however, was almost less than successful thanks to the “help” of the three youngest Arnotts and their plans to go one better than a recent much-talked-about society event.

Will Sapphira trust Zethan? And what other disasters will the children get involved in?

About the Author: Berengaria is a multi-published author of erotic romance: contemporary, paranormal (ghosts, vampires, fairies and werewolves) and Regency-set historical. She loves to read all different kinds of romance so that is what she writes: one man/one woman; two women; two men; two men/one woman; three men, two women/one man…. Whatever the characters need for their very hot happily-ever-after, Berengaria makes sure they get it.

Find Berengaria online at:
http://berengariasblog.blogspot.com/
http://berengariabrown.webs.com/

GUEST BLOG: KAT MARTIN

2012-01-04T04:00:00.006-05:00

How Hot is Too Hot?

by Kat Martin

In the years I’ve been writing, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about sex. Is it hard to write a sex scene? Where did you LEARN that stuff? (To which my husband just grins). Unlike some authors, I like writing sex scenes. I like the challenge of making each one different and using the scene to move the story forward, or at least the romantic element of the story.

Which means each scene needs to be in the right place in the book, and the tone of the scene must fit where the couple is in their relationship. Some scenes, I’ve discovered, need to be softer than others. For some I need to ratchet up the heat. For example, hot tempers make for a hot sex scene. Passion and anger get interchanged and the characters get carried away.

If it looks as if they are going to lose each other, if something is tearing them apart, the word choices would be more poignant, the setting might include a storm, or a violent sea, something external that gives the reader a sense of what is happening inside them.

And the characters in some books are just hotter than others. Their sex drive is stronger. Which may sound crazy but makes a certain odd sense. A school teacher desperate to find her lost child would not be thinking of sex morning, noon, and night. She has other more important priorities.

In HOT RAIN, the characters, Jake Dawson and Allie Parker are extremely sexual people. Since Jake is an undercover agent but Allie believes he is one of the murdering drug dealers holding her prisoner, the tension between them runs high. Being onboard a yacht headed for Mexico, they’re thrown into close quarters, making the sexual heat also run high.

I loved writing HOT RAIN because it has a great deal of humor. Jake has had nothing but bad luck with blondes and now he is hot for another one. He’s sure Allie Parker is a scatterbrain, but eventually discovers she’s a whole lot smarter than he thought. It’s high action adventure and the heat is cranked high, too.

If you haven’t read HOT RAIN, it’s available with a gorgeous new cover and also out in e-book format. I hope you’ll watch for it and that you enjoy.

Warmest wishes,

Kat

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a Kindle version of HOT RAIN.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Diane Davis White

2011-12-30T19:22:00.000-05:00

Diane Davis White talks about Giving the Christmas Spirit by Keeping the Foster Children of Pine Ridge Warm through the winter!

Hello to all, and happy holidays!

As usual, my blog concerns the children of Pine Ridge Reservation, and this holiday will see many foster children without heat and barely enough winter clothing to go around. I'm hoping to appeal to you all to reach just a bit deeper into your pockets, open your hearts, and give something to help these little ones. They are right here, in the center of the United States of America, still the wealthiest country in the world, yet they are living in 3rd world conditions. Below is a link you can use if you wish to help. And I hope you all do something...even one little candle helps light the darkness.

FRIENDS of PINE RIDGE RESERVATIONK

If you get a chance, stop by and check out my Lakota Moon Series. You'll be introduced to the Lakota way of life, in some small measure, and romance in large doses.

http://www.dianedaviswhite.com/TheLakotaMoonSeries.htm Diane Davis White writes historical and contemporary books, and the occasional bit of whimsical fantasy. She has been writing in some capacity since she was old enough to hold a pencil, and her wild imagination was encouraged by her family and close friends.

Now widowed, Diane lives in the South Central Plains and thrives on tales of the old west, Native American Lore being a favorite. Her books are inspired by her late husband whose Chickasaw heritage fascinates her.

Diane not only writes, but she also creates her own book covers and has recently started a small book video business. Stop by and check out her websites and blogs:www.dianedaviswhite.com www.heartsentbooks.com www.heartsentvideos.comLeave a comment for the chance to win your choice of download from the Lakota Moon series.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Vijaya Schartz

2011-12-30T18:00:00.022-05:00

CHRISTMAS ON THE MEXICAN BORDER

by Vijaya Schartz

When you live in Arizona, like me, stories of the Border Patrol abound in the news. Most of those stories are sad and dramatic, a few are humorous. All of them make me think. You see, born in France, I am a legal green card holder, so I understand what it’s like to go through the red tape of immigration. The topic is controversial.

I’m not afraid of controversy. In my stories, however, I stay away from politics to consider only the human factor, the emotional factor, and emotions run high when the stakes are high.

As I researched my novella on many government sites, inquiring about what kind of weapons the officers carried on border patrol, I realized Big Brother was probably watching me, wondering if I was planning something nefarious. I just wanted to get my facts straight. In the story they are, except that I wrote this in 2008, and a few things have changed since then. Still, smugglers run the border every night with drugs, arms, and people, despite sophisticated surveillance and patrols.But after doing all that research, I asked myself what if... What if one of the girls smuggled from Mexico was about to give birth on Christmas eve? What if a group of terrorists planned an attack on the Palo Verde nuclear facility on Christmas day? What if my Border Patrol agent was a rookie, and a woman? What if her partner was corrupt? What if an FBI agent had infiltrated the smugglers’ ring and a big operation was about to come down on Christmas morning?

All my stories have an international flair, and most of my heroines carry weapons, whether blasters, guns, or swords. This one carries a Beretta and a knife in her boot, and she keeps a Glock in the jeep. Yet, as in life, a story wouldn’t be complete without romance. This one is unlikely at first, but become more believable as we learn more about what’s really happening. Some call it romantic suspense, some call it action romance. I just call it A DESPERADO FOR CHRISTMAS.

One of the commenters on this blog will win a pdf version of this story, but if you can’t wait, you can download it for 99 cents in any eBook format at Smashwords at: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Schartz

Find Vijaya’s other stories at

Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/author/vijayaschartz

Vijaya's eBooks at ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Vijaya+Schartz

Vijaya's Nook bookss at: http://productsearch.barnesandnoble.com/search/results.aspx?WRD=vijaya+schartz&STORE=EBOOK&SZE=100&SRT=SA

Vijaya's books at Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Schartz

A DESPERADO FOR CHRISTMAS:
Rookie Border Patrol Agent Kaitlin Harrington hates Christmas and all men, since her lover jilted her and she lost her unborn child on Christmas Eve. This year, as she guards the Mexican border in southern Arizona, she encounters more than she can handle. No amount of training prepared Kaitlin to arrest the gorgeous desperado who challenges her. His name is Miguel, a human smuggler fascinated by the green eyes of the feisty auburn-haired beauty bent on impeding his important work. But Miguel is a man of many secrets. On this dangerous adventure through the Arizona desert, anything can and will happen.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Christine DePetrillo

2011-12-30T14:00:00.017-05:00

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…To Be a Cookie
By Christine DePetrillo

Sugar, check. Butter, check. Eggs, check. Chocolate, check. Coconut, check. Rum, check…The list of ingredients is endless, but it’s one of my favorite lists to make.

‘Tis the season for holiday cookies!Every year, I tell myself to cut back. To just make a few different kinds of cookies. To not fill the platters to overflowing.

Every year, I can’t do it. I comb through the recipes and find all sorts of reasons to include specific cookies. So-and-so loves this cookie. It just won’t be the same without that cookie. How could I leave any cookie out of the festivities? It’s simple. I can’t. Here are a few of my favorite holiday cookies that I make every year:

Let’s start with the biscotti. A true cookie of heritage, no holiday cookie platter can call itself Italian with out this treat. I make mine with cranberries and dip half of each cookie in chocolate to add a little variation in texture and taste. I love stirring and soaking up tea with biscotti just to soften things up a bit.

Snowballs, or butterballs as some folks call them, are a great cookie to use for their ability to be popped right into your mouth anytime, anywhere. Sure you get powdered sugar all over yourself, but isn’t it worth the trouble for the buttery goodness, the sweet perfection? I think it is.

To me, macaroons add some class to a cookie tray. The way the coconut gets slightly golden on the lacey edges always makes me want to put on some fancy clothes and go for a waltz. Drizzling thin lines of melted chocolate over the bundled coconut really makes the macaroons look sophisticated.

Snickerdoodles. Well, “snickerdoodles” is just a fun word to say.

Snickerdoodles. Go ahead. You say it. Snickerdoodles. Bet you can’t say it without chuckling, and who doesn’t love a good, Santa-quality, belly laugh during the holidays? I put pure Vermont maple sugar from a company that taps my maple trees in my snickerdoodles (and yes, I’m going to type “snickerdoodles” at least three more times before this paragraph is done, so deal with it). Snickerdoodles are best served with a cold glass of milk, or is it a glass of cold milk? Hmm. Snickerdoodles. I heart snickerdoodles.

Finally, we come to the “adult” cookie on the tray—the rum ball. A holiday kitchen only gets merrier with Captain Morgan in attendance. He’s sexy, he’s devilish, and he makes a cookie every pirate would willingly turn over his loot for a taste. I roll mine in chopped peanuts, coconut, or chocolate sprinkles to offer an assortment of flavor pairings. Snickerdoodle. (Ha! I snuck that one in.)

So, I’m sure this year will be no different than last. I will once again make my ingredients shopping list. I will spend unnecessary amounts of money on said ingredients and trays and plastic wrap and ribbon and gift tags. I will bake, bake, bake until my kitchen floor as a permanent sheen of butter on it. I will inevitably slap my husband’s hand away from snatching samples, and I will love every wonderful moment of it.

The hero of my January Wild Rose Press release, ABRA CADAVER, is offered cookies by the heroine’s mother. Unfortunately, he is unable to eat them or anything else for that matter. I don’t think I’d last very long in his shoes.

Holly Brimmer never expected to be brought back from the dead. After a fatal car crash, a mysterious stranger gives her a second chance at life—but it comes with a price. To stay alive she must pay it forward, accomplish an important deed, thus making her mark in the world. Until she does, her savior is bound to her. Now she has a backyard full of dead bodies and one unwanted houseguest.

Keane Malson kills bad guys to keep the innocent alive, but he’s still a monster. Cursed by a witch moments before an honorable death on the battlefield, he’s lived thousands of years, roaming from place to place with no end in sight. It’s a lonely life…until he meets Holly. When a wanted man targets Holly, Keane will do anything to protect her, even if it’s the last thing he ever does.

About the Author: Christine DePetrillo spends her days teaching children to love reading and writing and her nights writing about happily ever afters. She fell in love with writing the first time she held a crayon in her hand and realized the blank wall in her bedroom was full of possibilities. Since then, she has been mystified by the magic of words and enjoys playing with them every chance she gets. Visit me at www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com or friend me on Facebook. You can also read my posts on the 4th and 14th of each month at the Roses of Prose blog at www.rosesofprose.blogspot.com.

Comment here today with the name of your favorite Christmas cookie, or anything else you’d like to say, and be entered to win a free e-copy of any one of my books, winner’s choice.Happy Cookie Eating!Christine DePetrillo

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Meg Benjamin

2011-12-30T12:00:00.011-05:00

Card Bored

The first Christmas cards I did as a newlywed were handwritten. No kidding. I wrote a personal note on every one of those suckers, and I went on doing it for several years after that until kids and job got in the way.

That’s when I succumbed to the lure of the Christmas letter.I’ve been doing Christmas letters for a long time now, since the nineties at least. When I taught desktop publishing, I had access to super neat software and graphics, along with a high quality laser printer, so I could produce some pretty slick-looking letters. Now it’s not quite so easy, but I’m still stuck with doing them.

The problem is that I set the bar pretty high those first few years. I wanted to make up for the fact that I wasn’t writing the cards by hand anymore. So I set it up as a newspaper and I spent a lot of time trying to come up with witty ways of saying “Not much new here, what’s new with you?” along with unusual clip art that I’d scanned in at school.

For a while I even enjoyed doing it, but now, well, not so much.Given my choice, I admit I’d sort of like to skip the whole thing. Between email and cell phones, I’m a lot more in touch with friends and relations than I used to be. If I can’t skip the whole process altogether, I’d love to go digital too. But we have a number of elderly relatives who would be mortally offended if they didn’t get a physical Christmas card in the mail, complete with newsletter. And since I see some of them at Christmas time, I’d hear all about that mortal offense, believe me.So here I am, once again poised at the computer, trying to think of something halfway clever to say about the past year.

It’s not that 2011 wasn’t fun, it’s just that, well, it’s not much fun to write about. And I don’t do graphics anymore—instead I content myself with flashy type.Oh well, if nothing else, I’m helping the USPS pay down its deficit. And who knows, maybe some day I’ll be the one grumping about those young whippersnappers who never remember to send their Christmas cards on time. Only I’ll be checking my email, not trudging to the snail mail box in the snow.

About the Author: Meg Benjamin is the author of the Konigsburg series for Samhain Publishing. Book #3, Be My Baby, won a 2011 EPIC Award for Contemporary Romance. Book #4, Long Time Gone, received the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Indie Press Romance. Book #5, Brand New Me, was a Long and Short Reviews Best Book. Meg lives in Colorado with her DH and two rather large Maine coon kitties (well, partly Maine Coon anyway). Her Web site is http://www.MegBenjamin.com. You can follow her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1), and Twitter (http://twitter.com/megbenj1). Meg loves to hear from readers—contact her at meg@megbenjamin.com.

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for Don't Forget Me, Meg's latest Konigsburg book.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Margo Hoornstra

2011-12-30T10:00:00.025-05:00

How Winter Stirs the Senses

Winter is a great season for our senses, providing all sorts of ideas and impressions. Thoughts of freezing temperatures and barren landscapes suggest discomfort and desolation. Picture a solitary figure out on a cold, dark night.

Winter scenes can easily depict nature’s beauty, snow falling at twilight, quiet winds whispering over a blanket of snow, chilly snowflakes dissolved on warm tongues. Or serve as launch pads for recreation and fun. Children laughing in a playful exchange of snowballs, building ice forts and snow angels.

Imagine skaters on an outdoor rink. Razor sharp blades cut the ice as players clash in hockey. Or maneuver the smooth, intricate grace of a figure skater’s dance moves and spins.

Consider too what’s happening outside provides contrast for what goes on inside, making the imaginary transition from icy cold to toasty warm that much stronger. Sitting beside a blazing fire, nestling under soft, cozy blankets, the sweet aroma as steaming hot chocolate melts marshmallows.

The cold temperatures of winter is a theme which runs through Glad Tidings, my holiday e-book from The Wild Rose Press website, which is also available at Amazon.com and BN.com.

In the following quotes, cold plays a big part in the story.

When forever friends and soon to be lovers Jake and Bethany are first reunited.

A frigid blast of air dive bombed down his neck and under his suit coat. He put an arm around her shoulders as they stopped in response to a Don’t Walk sign on the opposite side of the street.

When two children they’ve come to care about have disappeared and Jake desperately searches for them.

Jake’s mouth was dry and his face was numb, yet his palms soaked the inside of his leather gloves with sweat. He’d lost feeling in each toe a while ago and the rest of him ached from the ruthless lash of a bitter wind. The abrupt drop in an already record setting low temperature flash-froze the slushy streets into skating rinks.

And would do worse to the fragile skin of a child.

The relief when he finds them hiding.

He dove inside to gather them to him then, helping first one then the other back up onto the dock, he soon had Tina clutched in one arm with Zeke under the other. The key card he fished out of his pocket fit into a metal case beside the door. At the opening click, he hit the handle with his backside and pulled them all into blessed warmth.

And last, the couple’s oblivion to all things cold and snowy as Bethany accepts her love for Jake at last.

The intrusion of another frigid winter breeze should have chilled her to the core, but didn’t. Standing face to face with the man she loved, basking in the warmth of his devotion, her heart opened up to release unhappy memories of Brian and make room for a joy filled future with Jake.

As the snow flies and the temperature plummets: Be good to yourself, snuggle up with a little romance.

About the Author:I have what could be called a happily ever after type of life. I’ve also lived through some here and there exceptional experiences and adversities. The characters in my stories are much the same, in some cases entering the next phase of successful careers and lives. They’re everyday people who have slowed down, paused to smell the roses, who understand at long last what’s important for them in life. A journey all of us must take to our own happily ever after.

www.margohoornstra.com
www.margohoornstra.blogspot.com

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a PDF file of Glad Tidings and a $10.00 gift card to Amazon.com.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Kelly Jamieson

2011-12-30T04:00:00.002-05:00

I’ve told this story before but I think it’s worth sharing again because it makes me smile and even get a little teary and helps us all remember what the holiday season is really all about.

Every year at my work the various departments gather food and toys for hampers that are delivered to needy families for the holidays. We get the names of families from the Christmas Cheer Board in our city.

One department put together a beautiful hamper with toys for the three children ages 2, 4, and 7. Every staff member donated their $25 gift certificate for Safeway, which they all receive as a gift from the union here. One of the staff, Brad, had spoken to the mother and arranged delivery. Brad and Dave loaded up Brad’s car and delivered the hamper.

They carried in boxes of food and gifts for the children, making several trips. The children were ecstatic that they were receiving gifts this Christmas, and Brad and Dave felt really good – until they left the home. Then Dave said to Brad, “That lady didn’t speak much English. Didn’t you talk to her on the phone?” Brad replied, “Yes.” Then he paused. “And she spoke perfect English.” They looked at each other, then checked the address they had. To their horror, they realized they had just delivered the hamper to the wrong family!

They didn’t know what to do, but after reflecting and realizing that there was another family still expecting the hamper to be delivered, and the toys had been purchased with those three specific children in mind, they went back into the house. They explained that they’d made a mistake. They actually had to take one of the toys back from a child’s hands, pack things up and take it away. They felt just terrible and the family was distressed, too. What an awful Christmas story!
But wait – it gets better!

When Brad and Dave got back to the office, they told everyone what had happened. The story spread through the building and within an hour, donations started pouring in for another hamper – without being asked, every other department chipped in more food and toys and gift certificates, even another Christmas card was found.
So Brad and Dave returned to the first house later that day and delivered another generous hamper to the family, who were overwhelmed and grateful after the earlier disappointment!

The way everyone immediately jumped in and donated things and helped put it together without even being asked left us all with a very warm, joyful feeling. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Kelly Jamieson is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. Her writing has been described as “emotionally complex”, “sweet and satisfying” and “blisteringly sexy”. If she can stop herself from reading or writing, she loves to cook. She has shelves of cookbooks that she reads at length. She also enjoys gardening in the summer, and in the winter she likes to read gardening magazines and seed catalogues (there might be a theme here...) She also loves shopping, especially for clothes and shoes. She loves hearing from readers, so please visit her website at www.kellyjamieson.com or contact her at info@kellyjamieson.com.

Tell us a Christmas memory you have and be entered into a drawing for a download of All I Want for Christmas.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Paty Jager

2011-12-29T18:00:00.016-05:00

Kissing under the Mistletoe

Mistletoe is one of the traditions of the Christmas Season. But did you know—

Mistletoe is an evergreen. The traditions of displaying evergreens at Christmas came about as a way to bring color and the green hope of spring into the home.

This plant however is a parasitic shrub. It grows on trees, living off the host plant. They are not full parasites, since the plants are capable of photosynthesis. But these mistletoe plants are parasitic in the sense that they send a special kind of root system down into their hosts, the trees upon which they grow, in order to extract nutrients from the trees.

Mistletoe has long been regarded as an aphrodisiac and fertility herb. It may also possess abortifacient qualities, which would help explain its association with uninhibited sexuality.

The unusual botanical history of mistletoe goes a long way towards explaining the awe in which it was held in the Norse myths. For in spite of not being rooted in the soil, mistletoe remained green throughout the winter, while the trees upon which it grew and upon which it fed did not (the European mistletoe often grows on apple trees; more rarely on oaks). This little plant remaining green while the host plant died fascinated the unscientific masses.

The folklore, and the magical powers of this plant, spread through the centuries It was thought placing a sprig in a baby's cradle would protect the child from faeries. Giving a sprig to the first cow calving after New Year would protect the entire herd.

Ancient Scandinavia and the Norse mythology is where the tale of kissing und the mistletoe started. It was considered a plant of peace in Scandinavian history. If enemies found themselves under mistletoe in the forest they laid down their weapons and called a truce until the next day.

Most say kissing under the mistletoe is an English custom even though there is a story that dates back to Norse mythology. It is about an overprotective mother.

The Norse god Balder was the best loved of all the gods. His mother was Frigga, goddess of love and beauty. She loved her son so much that she wanted to make sure no harm would come to him. So she went through the world, securing promises from everything that sprang from the four elements--fire, water, air, and earth--that they would not harm her beloved Balder.

Leave it to Loki, a sly, evil spirit, to find the loophole. The loophole was mistletoe. He made an arrow from its wood. To make the prank even nastier, he took the arrow to Hoder, Balder's brother, who was blind. Guiding Holder's hand, Loki directed the arrow at Balder's heart, and he fell dead.

Frigga's tears became the mistletoe's white berries. In the version of the story with a happy ending, Balder is restored to life, and Frigga is so grateful that she reverses the reputation of the offending plant--making it a symbol of love and promising to bestow a kiss upon anyone who passes under it.

Is hanging mistletoe a tradition in your family?

My holiday gift to readers is a free novella that can be downloaded from Kindle, Nook. Ibook or Smashwords until January 1st. Christmas Redemption is a western historical romance novella.

Wife, mother, grandmother, and the one who cleans pens and delivers the hay; award winning author Paty Jager and her husband currently farm 350 acres when not dashing around visiting their children and grandchildren. She not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

Paty Jager is a member of RWA, EPIC, WW, and COWG. Romance publisher Wild Rose Press has published soon to be ten books and a short story. She is venturing into the new world of self-publishing ebooks. She edited for an e-publisher for four and a half years and teaches workshops at conferences, writers meetings, and online.

Her contemporary Western, Perfectly Good Nanny, won the 2008 Eppie for Best Contemporary Romance and Spirit of the Mountain, a historical paranormal set among the Nez Perce, garnered 1st place in the paranormal category of the Lories Best Published Book Contest.

You can learn more about her at her blog:www.patyjager.blogspot.com; her website: http://www.patyjager.net or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/paty.jager and Twitter: @patyjag.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Angie Fox

2011-12-29T14:00:00.039-05:00

Bethany: Is your house on fire, Clark?

Clark: No, Aunt Bethany. Those are the Christmas lights.

I can't tell you how excited I am that the holiday season is here - I love the lights, the decorations and especially putting up the tree (taking it down is another matter). And so begins the annual Fox family debate - what kind of tree to get.

My husband grew up in an "artificial tree" family. He believes in economy - grab that puppy from the basement, have it up in under a half hour, maybe spray some pine-scent and start decorating.

If only it could be so simple.

For, you see, I tend to channel the spirit of Clark Griswold during the holiday season. And worse, I come from a real tree family. And not just a "tree lot" tree family - my dad had us out early the weekend after Thanksgiving, hoofing it across massive Christmas tree forests, looking for the perfect one. We'd spent all morning walking - and goofing around - but all in search of the not-too-tall, not-too-short, no-bald-spots, does-it-have-the-right-kind-of-needles, long-enough-trunk, my-brother-did-NOT-see-it-first masterpiece of a tree. We'd take turns chopping it down and then my dad would haul it back out of the woods.

The first year we were married, I tried to re-create this tradition with my husband, the spray-on pine scent guy. He was cautiously optimistic. I picked the wrong tree farm. It was literally a long field flanked by other people's backyards. He laughed. And finally, I did too. It was fun. The tree was pretty. And we vowed ... next year would be spectacular.

Then we had one kiddo, and two. My husband began to point out ads for artificial trees - on sale! (Yeah, I'm a sucker for a sale.) But, no. While I'm not going to channel Clark Griswold to the point of dashing out to the woods with two small children and a hack saw, I still need a real tree.

So we head to the lot up at church. My husband talks with the guys, we all pick out a tree and it's just as pretty as the ones we dragged home years ago. But someday...one day...I'm going to get these people back out into the woods.

Now what about you? Are you an "artificial tree" person or a "real tree" person? One lucky commenter wins a copy of A Tale of Two Demon Slayers.

Angie Fox is the New York Times bestselling author of several books about vampires, werewolves and things that go bump in the night. Visit Angie at www.angiefox.com.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Jana Richards

2011-12-29T10:00:00.032-05:00

Home for Christmas

I shouldn’t be here. I should be home with my family.

Sarah pushed her cart down the endless hospital corridor, stopping at each patient’s room to distribute medications. The clock at the nurses’ station read 10 a.m. By this time, even her youngest sister Michelle would have dragged herself out of bed to open her Christmas presents. Mom would have been up for hours, of course, stuffing the turkey and getting everything just right for the big family dinner. By noon, her aunts and uncles and cousins would arrive bearing gifts of sweets and other foods. Grandma would tie an apron around her waist and mash potatoes until they were as smooth and frothy as freshly whipped cream and just as tasty.

And she’d miss all of it.

Sarah tried to push away the resentment and loneliness but they persisted, nagging at her like a toothache. As a newly minted registered nurse and low man on the totem pole on her ward, she’d had no choice but to work over Christmas. The other nurses commiserated, but were unwilling to trade shifts. Get used to it, they told her. We’ve all been through it. This is the job you’ve chosen, and it means that at times you’ll have to work when you’d rather be somewhere else.

Easy for them to say, Sarah thought bitterly. They could go home after work and be with their families. They could still celebrate Christmas with their loved ones. Her family was six hundred kilometers away. By the time she arrived at her parents’ home on December 28, all the presents would be opened, the turkey eaten, the relatives gone home.

Homesickness settled in her heart, creating a painful lump in her chest.

She pushed the cart into room 203 and checked her charts; Mrs. Grant was in her seventies and had just had a right hip replacement. She required medication for pain and high blood pressure. She’d had a difficult time the last few days. Immediately after surgery she’d been plagued with a stubborn infection. They’d just gotten the infection under control when she fell trying to get to the washroom on her own, reinjuring her hip and increasing her pain and recovery time. Sarah felt sorry for her; Mrs. Grant probably didn’t want to be in the hospital anymore than she did.

Sarah was surprised to see a small potted Christmas tree adorned with tiny red bows on the stand next to Mrs. Grant’s bed. “Have a holly, jolly Christmas” boomed from a portable stereo. Her patient smiled brightly from under her furry Santa hat.
“Hello, Sarah! Merry Christmas!”

Despite herself, Sarah smiled. “Hello, Mrs. Grant. You’re looking very cheery today.”

“Of course I am. It’s Christmas Day.”

Sarah poured a glass of water and handed her the pills. “Where did you get the little tree from? It’s cute.”

“I ordered it from the florist. Had to do something to put some Christmas spirit into this place. I got some chocolates for visitors, too. ” Mrs. Grant gestured to the windowsill beside her bed to a large, open box of chocolates. “Help yourself.”

Sarah selected a chocolate covered maraschino cherry, her favorite. “Hmm. Delicious. Thank you. That’s a big box. Are you expecting lots of visitors today?”

“No, not really. A lot of the folks in my seniors’ complex don’t drive anymore so they won’t be coming over. And besides, most will be with their families today.”

“What about your family? They must be missing you.”

Mrs. Grant gave a wistful smile. “My husband and I weren’t able to have children of our own. We have three nieces and two nephews but they all live out of town. Ralph died three years ago so I’m on my own now.”

Sarah’s sympathy must have shown on her face. Mrs. Grant wagged her finger. “Now, don’t start feeling sorry for me. I have lots of friends at the seniors’ complex and my nieces and nephews are like my own children. I’ll admit that being in the hospital over Christmas isn’t ideal, but Christmas is what you make of it, isn’t it?”

Sarah suddenly felt ashamed. She’d done nothing but whine and feel sorry for herself for missing Christmas day with her family. This likely wouldn’t be the last holiday she’d be separated from them. Like Mrs. Grant said, she needed to make the best of it. Maybe she could start with an attitude adjustment.

“Yes, you’re right, Christmas is what you make of it. Can I borrow your hat for a while?”

Mrs. Grant handed it to her. “Of course. What do you plan to do with it?”

Sarah popped it on her head. “Spread a little cheer, I hope. Merry Christmas, Mrs. Grant.”

“Merry Christmas, Sarah.”

She pushed her cart down the corridor once more, her heart a little lighter. “Ho, ho, ho, everyone! Merry Christmas! Here comes Nurse Santa! Merry Christmas!”

About the Author: Jana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy. She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side. She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net.

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of The Girl Most Likely

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Sophia Knightly

2011-12-29T04:00:00.005-05:00

Hi, I'm Sophia Knightly. I wrote SOLD ON YOU, a romantic comedy set during Christmas, because it's my favorite holiday. Today, I'll choose a random guest to receive a FREE ebook copy of SOLD ON YOU. To be eligible, please post a comment about what you look forward to most during the holidays.

I'll start the ball rolling...I most look forward to spending time with my family, cooking, laughing and eating homemade delicious treats. When my daughters are home for Christmas, we bake cookies and make Italian rum balls together as we watch classic movies on TCM -- one of our favorites is "Meet Me In ST. Louis". On Christmas Eve, we make homemade gnocchi and braciole. Our version of Italian braciole is made with a butterflied pork tenderloin that is filled with garlic, parsly, grated cheese, pine nuts and golden raisins and rolled up. It is then simmered in a tomato sauce until it is very tender. Mmm, delicious!

What do you most look forward to during the holidays? Post here for all to enjoy!

www.SophiaKnightly.com

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Stacey Joy Netzel

2011-12-28T18:00:00.040-05:00

GIVING BACK AT CHRISTMAS

A couple years ago, once the gift giving became nothing more than exchanging gift cards, our family stopped exchanging gifts at Christmas and began donating to local shelters and associations of our choice. I don't say charity because I don't look at it as charity. We've been blessed with a healthy family and truly have what we need to be happy, so we knew it was time to give to others who might need a little help. There may come a day we're that family, but for now, we are happy to help where we can.

My Christmas novella Dragonfly Dreams is a story all about the true Spirit of Christmas and in that spirit, I'm donating all my author profits from this book for the month of December to family friends who can use a little help.

Let me introduce you to the White Family, and share what they're going through in Becky's own words.

Becky, Bob, Kayden, Karder, and Kamden

The onset of Lyme Disease has changed our lives dramatically. I never knew very much about Lyme Disease until my family was diagnosed with it. What has Lyme Disease done to our lives?? Some of our daily symptoms due to Lyme consist of; migraines, anxiety, dizziness, blurred vision, joint pain, sensitivity to light, fatigue, heart palpitations, jaw pain, burning in extremities and so on.

Lyme Disease has not only affected our family physically, it has affected us financially as well. Lyme Disease needs aggressive, ongoing treatment. Majority of Lyme treatment and testing for Lyme Disease is expensive and not covered by Insurance.

We as a family are daily trying to educate ourselves on Lyme Disease. If it hadn't been for our own research, we might not have ever figured out what was wrong with us. Our Hopes and Dreams from this point on are to not only be a healthy, energetic family again, but to also educate others about this horrible disease.

Thank you to Bob and Becky for helping to spread the word about this disease. You will help others to a more speedy diagnosis, and hopefully soon your family will be healthy again! I can't imagine my kids having to deal with those symptoms and how helpless I'd feel not being able to relieve their pain.

My goal is to sell 250 copies of Dragonfly Dreams, which would allow me to donate $500. I can't do this alone and need your help!

So I’m asking you to:

1. Please pick up a copy of Dragonfly Dreams for just $2.99. I know it's an over-used cliche, but that's less than a large latte at the local coffee shop, or a Big Mac, or you get the picture...

2. Know someone with an ereader or a smart phone? Gift them a copy via Amazon or Barnes & Noble using the button "Give as a Gift" under the buy button.

3. Please spread the word via email to any of your friends who might do the same, and post on your blog, FB, Twitter, Goodreads, etc.

All we need is 250 people to buy just one copy! That's nothing when you think about how many readers are out there! I have a running tab on the top right side of my blog so everyone can see where we're at for the month.

Don't have an ereader? You can still help!

Even if you don’t have an ereader, you can still read the book on your computer, Smart phone, or tablet. Amazon Kindle and BN Nook have free PC applications that can be downloaded on the computer and other devices so you can read ebooks. Smashwords has the PDF file that also can be read directly on your computer.

So, what's the book about, you ask?? Here's the blurb.

Can a family connection to the ill-fated Titanic bring new hope to sinking dreams?

With his antique shop on the brink of bankruptcy, Jake Coburn knows he shouldn’t buy costume jewelry at a price that won’t turn a profit. Then again, it’s Christmas, and he hasn’t been able to say no to Loral Evan’s since the first time she entered his shop.

Desperation is what drives Loral Evans to sell precious family heirlooms, but Jake’s offer of one thousand dollars for a dragonfly brooch she knows is fake stings her pride. If only she could afford to walk away from the handsome antique dealer.

During a season of giving, Loral learns there’s a big difference between pride and dignity, and Jake’s determination to do the right thing brings rewards beyond what either of them ever dreamed of.

Where can you get the book?? Click a link...

Amazon, BN, Smashwords, ARe, Breakthrough Bookstore

(Smashwords offers the ebook in formats for Kobo, Sony, iBooks, and other devices.)

Also, if the title sounds familiar to some of you, yes this is the same Christmas novella I released four years ago with TWRP. (Nominated at LASR for Best Short eBook 2007) I’ve re-edited, added an epilogue, and had a beautiful new cover designed. A second read might just be worth it and you can help out at the same time.

On the other hand, I also realize that times are tough for everyone, so at the very least, some “Likes” and tags on Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble would be greatly appreciated, too. What does that do? It increases the book's visibility so hopefully more readers can find it online and purchase a copy.

Lastly, I ask you to keep the White's and their extended family ~ my cousin Jimmy, my aunt, uncle, and other cousins in the Tiemann Family ~ in your prayers for hope and comfort.

If you have someone you would like added to our prayers, leave a comment with their name. We may not know each other, but additional people praying loved one's names is always a good thing.

Thank you all very much for your help and Merry Christmas!

I’ll give away 3 copies of Dragonfly Dreams today (because every sale counts toward the goal!), so make sure to leave a comment with your contact information.

Stacey Joy Netzel

Wisconsin native Stacey Joy Netzel fell in love with books at a young age, so for her the graduation to writing them was natural. A member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA), she credits her parents for encouraging her dreams of becoming a published author, as well as the very talented friends she’s made in WisRWA since joining in 2004. Her books have received numerous 5 Star reviews from reviewers and readers alike, and her Christmas anthology, MISTLETOE RULES, took 1st place in WisRWA's 2010 Write Touch Readers' Award. Check out her romantic suspense Colorado Trust Series, Trust in the Lawe, Shattered trust, and Shadowed Trust. Other titles include: Lost In Italy, Ditched Again, Welcome to Redemption Series, Chasin’ Mason, Dragonfly Dreams, If Tombstones Could Talk.

An avid reader and big fan of movies with happy endings, Stacey lives in Wisconsin with her husband and three children, a couple horses and some barn cats. She works part-time as a travel agent, and in her limited free time she enjoys gardening, canning, and visiting her parents in Northeastern Wisconsin (Up North) at their cabin on the lake.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Margay Leah Justice

2011-12-28T14:00:00.014-05:00

It’s Not the Holiday, It’s How You Celebrate It
By Margay Leah Justice

This time of year as we celebrate Thanksgiving with Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday shopping and are constantly barraged by special deals and holiday cheer, we often get so caught up in the commercialization of the holiday that we tend to forget what it’s all about. I admit I go into panic mode the first time I see a holiday-themed commercial on TV and start worrying about all the things that are yet to be done – who doesn’t? With this store telling you they can give you a deal on that and that program telling you what is the Must Have gift of the season, it’s so easy to get so caught up in the Must Have-Buy Now for less mentality of the season that your nerves end up in a bundle to rival that of the Christmas tree lights you just had to keep from last year to save on the cost this year. And what do we do with those lights? Toss them in the trash and buy new ones because they’re just not worth the effort to unravel them and, ultimately, one of them is not going to work anyhow, which throws the rest off. But what do we do when we take the tree down after New Year’s? Bundle the lights away with the ornaments to put back on the tree next year, you know, to save a little money.

Next year: Push Play and repeat on your Holidays-Make-Me-Crazy recorder.

Lost in the brightly-colored wrappings, perky bows, tinsel and mistletoe is the message of the holiday season. We are so caught up in the process of getting the perfect gift at the best price to give to the most deserving at the gathering to beat every other gathering that came before that we forget one simple fact. The holiday isn’t about how much money you save – or spend – or how well you decorate or plan a gathering. It’s about how you actually celebrate the day. It’s about the people you surround yourself with when you pass on the traditions that were passed on to you. Do you think Mary and Joseph were worried about how the manger looked when all of those people came to visit after the birth of their son? Did Mary have to leave Thanksgiving dinner early to go stand in line at the local Best Buy until it opened on Black Friday so she could get a killer deal on a iPad? So why do we? When did this holiday season become all about getting the best gift for or from someone and not about why we celebrate it in the first place?

For me, one of the best memories I have about Christmas happened during one of the most trying times in my life. I found myself without a home, so I was living in a hotel room with my two young daughters as we waited for a spot to open up in a local shelter. We didn’t have much of anything then – certainly not enough to celebrate the holiday – but we got through it with the help of strangers who donated gifts to us. But what made this day really special was how my older daughter (who was about 11 at the time) made our Christmas tree. She drew it – on notebook paper. Not just one piece, but several, each piece containing a part of the tree. Then she aligned them all together, like a puzzle, and taped the whole to the wall. We didn’t have much, but we did have the spirit of the season and it took my young daughter to remind me of what it truly means to celebrate the season. Now, some years later, as I find myself in difficult circumstances again, my daughters both remind me that it’s not about the gifts that are exchanged on that day. It’s about the people whom you choose to spend the day with – they are the true gifts of the season. Of every season.

About the Author: Descended from the same bloodline that spawned the likes of James Russell, Amy and Robert Lowell, Margay Leah Justice was fated to be a writer herself from a young age. But even before she knew that there was a name for what she was doing, she knew one thing: She had a deep and unconditional love for the written word. A love that would challenge her in times of need, abandon her in times of distress, and rediscover her in times of hope. Through her writing, Margay has learned to cope with every curve ball life has thrown her, including the challenges of single parenting, the harsh realities of living in a shelter, coping with the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, and the roller coaster ride of dealing with a child who suffers from bipolar disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome. But along the way she has rediscovered the amazing power of words.

Margay currently lives in Massachusetts with her two daughters, two cats, and a myriad of characters who vie for her attention and demand that their own stories be told.

http://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of Sloane Wolf.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Meg Bellamy

2011-12-28T12:00:00.025-05:00

A Touch of Chanukahby Meg Bellamy

Homecoming, my contemporary romance from The Wild Rose Press, concludes with a big, happy Christmas celebration for Julie and Dan. Glenys, Julie’s New York roommate, adores Christmas and goes all out to celebrate. A big part of the specialness of Christmas this year for Glenys is meeting Steve, a guy who will bring a touch of Chanukah to her holidays in the future.

Chanukah, which is also known as the Feast of Lights, is a celebration that often coincides with Christmas, as it will in 2011, lasting from December 21st to the 28th. As with Christmas and New Year, the holiday begins the evening before the day of, so people celebrating Chanukah will light the first candle after sundown December 20th. The dates vary in different years because they’re based on the Hebrew calendar, which is lunar (our standard calendar in solar). Chanukah (which can be spelled several different ways) can start as early as Thanksgiving or, as in this year, as late as very close to Christmas.

Celebrating Chanukah is pretty simple, so Glenys won’t be too challenged when she adds another step to her already hectic Christmas preparations. Every night of the eight Chanukah “eves”, she and Steve will light their special Chanukah menorah which has holders for eight candles plus a “helper” called the shamesh. On the first night, they’ll light the shamesh, which they’ll use to light the first candle. On each subsequent night, they’ll add another candle until the eighth night, when the light from the menorah is at its the brightest.

If Glenys wants to prepare special Chanukah food for Steve, she’ll make him latkes, yummy potato pancakes to be served with applesauce and/or sour cream (or she may buy frozen ones or use a mix if she’s really pressed for time). Jelly doughnuts called sufganiyot and chocolate coins are other holiday treats. As to gifts each night—Glenys and Steve will have to work that one out. Usually, though, it’s only the kids who get a gift each night, as it’s the kids who play with the dreidel, a spinning top that’s the main Chanukah toy.

Glenys loves holidays and she loves Steve. She’s up to her elbows in recipes for latkes and is currently shopping for a menorah as they prepare to celebrate their first holiday season together. They, along with Julie and Dan, join me in wishing you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year.

About the Author: Along with her husband, her family and her books, language is Meg’s passion. In fact, by day she’s a mild-mannered language teacher. Currently she teaches ESL (English as a Second Language) to international students, but in her early teaching days, her main subject was French. Though her French is a bit rusty these days, she figures a trip to France would help fix that. She’s also studied Russian, Spanish and Italian. This love of language spills over into her writing craft and appreciation for books.—and travel!

Meg gets to satisfy the travel bug with trips to England—as often as possible!— to visit her son, daughter-in-law and grandsons. It’s great when Lee, her DH, also goes because driving on the left side of the road doesn’t intimidate him—talk about your basic hero type! Meg also has to travel to see her daughter, who lives in New Jersey—a mere continent away from Meg’s home in Northern California.

Being a published member of the community of writers with her contemporary romances and women’s fiction is the fulfillment of one of Meg’s most cherished dreams. Her first Meg release, Homecoming, was released this year by The Wild Rose Press.

http://www.MegBellamy.com

Please leave a comment for the chance to win a download of Homecoming.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Jennie Marsland

2011-12-28T12:00:00.024-05:00

Boston’s Christmas Tree

Every Christmas tree is special, but the magnificent evergreen that glitters each year in Boston’s Prudential Plaza is unique. It’s a holiday symbol with a deeper meaning, a special gift in remembrance of help provided in a time of desperate need many years ago.

The year was 1917, and much of the world was at war. North along the Atlantic coast from Boston, the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, bustled with activity as convoys bound for Europe with troops and supplies prepared for the dangerous crossing. Traffic on Halifax Harbour had never been so busy. All vessels had to come and go during daylight hours, as submarine nets were drawn across the Harbour’s mouth at night. Amid the bustle, the city looked forward to Christmas. The economy was booming and the shops were full of festive goods to cheer yet another wartime holiday.

On the morning of December 6th, as men set off for work and children made their way to school, two ships collided in the Harbour. One of them, the French vessel Mont Blanc, was fully loaded with explosives – TNT, picric acid, airplane fuel and gun cotton. The collision sparked a fire. Knowing their deadly cargo, the crew of Mont Blanc took to the lifeboats and left the ship to drift into a pier in Halifax’s industrial North End. At 9:04 am Mont Blanc detonated in what is still the largest non-natural, non-atomic explosion in recorded history.

The North End was devastated. Homes and businesses were blown away, and ships touched bottom as the Harbour parted with the force of the blast. Over a thousand people were killed instantly and a thousand more died later of their injuries, but horrific as the loss of life was, it would have been much worse but for the bravery of Vince Coleman, a railway telegraph operator who sacrificed his life to send a warning message to an oncoming train. Thanks to Coleman, the whole world quickly got word of the disaster. Response was overwhelming, especially from the state of Massachusetts, where so many Nova Scotians had family ties.

Within a day, a train loaded with relief supplies, doctors and nurses set out for the stricken city. They relieved Halifax’s exhausted medical personnel and remained to provide aid and distribute supplies until the casualties had been cared for and aid began to arrive from other sources. There is no doubt that without the help provided by Massachusetts, one of the worst disasters of the twentieth century would have caused even more hardship and suffering.

Nova Scotia has not forgotten. And so, every year, we send a carefully chosen, towering tree to “the Boston States” to stand in Prudential Plaza, a reminder that kinship and generosity know no borders.

About the Author:Jennie Marsland is a teacher, a painter, a musician and, for most of her life, a writer. She fell in love with words at a very early age and the affair has been life-long. She enjoys writing songs and poetry as well as fiction.

Jennie is a history buff as well as an unashamed romantic. Glimpses of the past spark her imagination, and she believes in happily ever after. A resident of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the last thirty years, she lives with her husband, their cat Emily and their outrageously spoiled Duck-Tolling Retrievers, Chance and Echo.

http://jenniemarsland.com/

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of Shattered.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Frances Pauli

2011-12-28T10:00:00.015-05:00

Holiday Indulgence

One of the things I love the most about writing holiday romances is that I can engage in a little bit of personal indulgence. Rather like the chocolate truffles I allow myself to sneak this time of year, my holiday stories tend to be somewhat self-soothing.

I’m not sure why, to be honest, but something about holiday romance really appeals to me. Perhaps it’s all the comfort and joy already filling the atmosphere, but it seems like you just can’t be too sweet at this time of year. You can’t be too merry, or too joyous or have too much fantasy. You can really go for it on the holiday magic, and it works.

People expect enormous happily ever afters at Christmas. They expect tears of joy, miraculous reunions, wonderful lives. Delivering that feels good any time of year, but at the holidays it just spills over to my own warm and fuzzy feelings as well.

If it’s truly better to give than to receive, (which holds true of anything except chocolate, really) then perhaps giving a little sparkle of Christmas joy to my characters, readers, and yes, myself, isn’t such a bad thing. All I know is I can’t stop. Like those truffles, writing holiday magic is addictive. It stirs up all the mystery and magic that Christmas held for me as a child and makes the holiday feel special again, like anything can happen. Because in a Christmas romance, of course, anything can.

Thank heavens. Ring the bells, light the candles and get ready for romance with all the tinsel and trim. I get holly jolly just thinking about it.

Thanks for having me,
Frances

Frances writes speculative fiction and romance for Mundania Press, Awe-Struck and Devine Destinies. Her holiday romance, Twelve Dances, involves nutcrackers, oboes and a healthy dose of happily ever after. She's offering a copy of the e-book to one lucky visitor today. Leave a comment to enter.

http://francespauli.com

Twelve Dances
by Frances Pauli

Some dreams are too good to be true. Is Clara’s too true to be good?

When Clara adds a brand new nutcracker to her favorite Christmas collection, she immediately starts having vivid, recurring dreams about her twelve wooden princes. As the holiday nears, her infatuation with the new nutcracker grows into a flirtation that sets the rest of the little soldiers against her. Dancing through an impossibly real battle in her sleep and dodging her infuriating family during the day, Clara’s holidays take a spin toward disaster. If she can survive both and make it to Christmas Eve in one piece, will Clara get to dance with the one prince she actually wants? And even if she does, what happens when the holiday passes, and the nutcrackers are packed away for another year?

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: P.R. Mason

2011-12-28T04:00:00.000-05:00

What would your favorite characters be doing for Christmas?
By: P.R. Mason

For me, some literary characters are so vivid they live in my head for days, months and even years after I've read a novel. Recently, while re-reading my favorite J.K. Rowling book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, it occurred to me to wonder how Voldemort—pre-final demise,of course—would spend Christmas Eve. My bet is that he would decorate a giant spruce with glass ornaments of Harry's face which he would then blast into smithereens one-by-one with a wave of his wand. He'd probably also be casting a cruciatus curse on anyone who didn't agree the holiday should be renamed Voldemas.

How about Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice? Sadly, he probably wouldn't be swimming semi-naked in the pond at Pemberley as Colin Firth did in the BBC version of the book since the English weather at this time of year would be prohibitive. But I can picture a pre-humbled Darcy attending a country-dance near Longbourne and turning up his nose at the informality of the occasion, the rustically shabby nature of the decorations, and the boisterousness of the celebrating company. Of course, the post-humbled Darcy would be enjoying a family Christmas with Elizabeth and the Bingleys. He'd probably be sitting cross-legged on the floor, quite enjoying the informality of playing with the children.

Katniss from Hunger Games—if the holiday existed in her dystopian world—would probably spend Christmas Eve hunting for enough food to feed her family and as many others in the village that she could manage.

Prince Leopold, the villain of my novel Entanglements, was the son of Queen Victoria. A failed medical procedure, intended to cure his hemophilia, accidentally transformed him into a vampire. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't want to celebrate Christmas. The prince views himself as extremely civilized and dedicated to duty. So his Christmas would be traditional. He'd be relaxing near a roaring fire in the ornate drawing room of his palace, admiring the decorated Tannenbaum and sipping a warm drink. Of course, his drink would be mulled blood instead of wine. And we probably wouldn't want to know about the ingredients of the pudding.

The heroine of Entanglements, Kizzy, a teen who has been devastated by a family tragedy and accidentally opens a vortex to an alternate dimension, would probably refuse to celebrate Christmas at all. Kizzy wouldn't see anything about her world she'd want to celebrate. That's her attitude as the novel opens, but by the end...Well, I hope you'll read Entanglements and see for yourself.

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B005R0RPPG
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/entanglements-pr-mason/1106038862?ean=2940013363403&itm=11&usri=entanglements

What about your favorite characters? What do you think they'd be doing for Christmas? Post a comment and be entered to win a free copy ebook copy of Entanglements in the format of your choosing.

Author bio: P.R. Mason writes steamy contemporary and paranormal romance under the name Patricia Mason and young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy as P.R. Mason. She escaped from the snowy Midwest winters of her youth by moving to Savannah, Georgia, where her home is ruled by two black cats. For more titles by the author, visit http://www.prmason.net. You can also follow the author @prmason on Twitter.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Elaine Cantrell

2011-12-27T18:00:00.012-05:00

Christmas Kisses

Clint took a step closer to her. Goodness, why hadn’t she noticed how warm the room was behind that curtain? She didn’t like being so close to him either, but for some reason she didn’t move away.

“Look above your head,” he said.

Rachel looked up and saw a sprig of mistletoe tied to a ceiling fan with a long piece of red yarn.

“That’s mistletoe, Rachel.”

“So? I imagine the high school kids tied it there so they could steal kisses.”

Why do we do it? Kiss people under the mistletoe, I mean. We don’t kiss people under holly or ivy or any other plant I can think of, so why mistletoe? Actually, there are a lot of reasons why.

Since ancient times, mistletoe figured prominently in European folklore. The ancient Druids considered it to be a sacred plant. They thought it could cure illness, serve as an antidote to poisons, and protect you against witches. People often hung it from the ceiling to prevent witches or evil spirits from entering the house. Better yet, mistletoe was thought to be an aphrodisiac.

Kissing under the mistletoe comes from traditions in several different places. The Greeks loved mistletoe. They used it in all their festival and weddings. If a couple who were in love exchanged a kiss under the mistletoe, it was the same thing as a proposal. It also predicted happiness for the couple.

The Anglo-Saxons associated mistletoe with Freya, the goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. According to their tradition, a man had to kiss any girl he found standing under the mistletoe which hung from the ceiling. Every time a man kissed her, he took a berry from the bunch. When the last berry vanished, the kissing had to stop.

In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace. If two enemies met under the mistletoe, they had to declare a truce until the next day. This applied to warring spouses too.

It’s also interesting to know how the plant got its name. People noticed that mistletoe often grew where birds had pooped on tree branches. Mistel is the Anglo-Saxon word for dung, and tan is the word for twig, so mistletoe really means dung on a twig. (Too much information?)

Be careful not to eat mistletoe, though. Contrary to what the Druids believed it isn’t a cure for disease, and people have been known to get really sick from eating it or drinking mistletoe tea. However, nobody ever died from a kiss under the mistletoe, so kiss away!

There isn’t any mistletoe in my new Christmas release The Table in the Window, but let’s have a drawing for a copy anyway. Leave a comment, and I’ll toss your name in the hat. If I draw your name, you win. The book is a short novella and can be bought at Astraea Press or at Amazon.com

Oh, in case you’re wondering, the little snippet at the top of the article is from my yet-to-be released novel The Sentence.

About the Author: Elaine Cantrell was born and raised in South Carolina. She holds a Master’s Degree in Personnel Services from Clemson University and is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for women educators. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America and EPIC authors. Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the Timeless Love Contest and was published in 2004 by Oak Tree Books. At present she teaches high school social studies. She spends her spare time collecting vintage Christmas ornaments, reading, and playing with her grandchildren.

http://www.elainecantrell.com

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Anne Holly

2011-12-27T14:00:00.021-05:00

Snow, Bison, Aurora Borealis and Other Northern Delightsby Anne Holly

I grew up on a steady diet of Western romances – the scrub of Texas, the mountains of Montana, the wilds of Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, the Dakotas, even Oregon once or twice. It seemed in the romance world of my youth, you could be one of a few things – a cowboy in the West, a business man in the East, or a British/Greek/Australian tycoon… Or a woman who loved one of the above, of course. That’s kind of limited, I suppose, considering the vast, worldwide community of people who love romance. I’m glad things are changing to better reflect us readers.

As a writer, I gravitate towards nature, so I guess Westerns should come naturally to me. In fact, I did write a book set in the beautiful “mountains of Montana” this year, Charity. But the problem is, I’m Canadian. I love the nature right here, too. And we have lots and lots of it to praise. It’s not better; it’s just home. And I would love to see it used more often as a backdrop to passion.

In Canada, we can use six months worth of snow as an excuse to stay in and snuggle. We have the Northern Lights under which to fall in love. Vast skies and open places, rivers and oceans, and rugged coasts. Deep forests and quiet fields. As someone who has traveled a bit around the country, and grew up near the sea in the woods, and loves winter – all of these things inspire me. And all of these things scream “Romance!” to me.

So, is “the Northern romance” Canada’s version of “the Western”? If so, it hasn’t really caught on, though we see more “Western romances set in Canada’s West” than we did before. One reviewer of my Northern romance, Strings Attached, asked, “Who knew Canada’s North could be so romantic?” Well, I guess I did.

Margaret Atwood claimed that authentic Canadian stories are marked with the quest for survival. Well, where better to set a tale of survival than in the North? And, for me, survival is tied with love and partnership – two against the odds makes for compelling romance.

Strings Attached is set in northern Manitoba, on a ranch in the dead of winter under those Northern Lights. When my couple, Theo and Josie, embrace under the ribbons of gold and green dancing across the sky, it’s a natural call to happily ever after. The isolation (or, as I prefer, solitude), the cold outside fought off by warm fires, the partnered struggle against the elements – seems like all the ingredients for love, to me.

Though, I admit those novels from my youth must have had a strong affect on me. After all, the hero of Strings Attached is an Australian, and the heroine is a woman who loves him. She also happens to be a Canadian bison rancher, though, so I guess that’s my twist.

Winter well, friends, and all the best for the holidays.- AH

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer of romance and erotic-romance, as well as a mother and teacher. She has been published by Wild Horse Press, Decadent Publishing and Rebel Ink Press, and in 2012 by Pink Petal Books. Anne’s work is characterized by its unusual heroes, sweet/spicy balance, witty dialogue, responsible citizenship, and its positive, optimistic nature. She has found a particular niche in holiday romance. You may visit Anne at her blog or website, or find her on GoodReads, Facebook and Twitter (@anneholly2010). Sign up for her newsletter here. Email her at anneholly2010@gmail.com.

Please comment for your chance to win a copy of Strings Attached on Kindle.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Anne Ashby

2011-12-27T12:00:00.010-05:00

A Different Type of Christmas

One filled with sun and sand and surf – or mucking about around the pool.

I’d love to invite you to share Christmas Day dinner with my family. Our choice of meal might seem a little strange but I’m sure you’ll appreciate the subtle changes that have occurred over the last twenty or so years, when you feel the temperature outside. Our Christmas is in mid summer, so themes here in New Zealand are more likely to be bound up with barbecues or picnics at the beach or time spent around the pool in the backyard, rather than being stuck inside with ovens adding to heat.

No longer do the women in my family rise at the crack of dawn to prepare the heavy roast dinners of lamb, (or turkey, beef, pork or ham), with all the expected hot vegetable accompaniments before heading off to morning church service. Gone also are the plum duffs, the Christmas puddings filled with coins for the children to find. Instead our fare will consist of steak, chicken nibbles/kebabs, sausages, ham, meat patties, usually marinating from the evening before and ready to throw onto the barbie minutes before eating. New season potatoes and salads abound. Any and every concoction of salad, green, slaw, rice, pasta, carrot. Each year new varieties pop up as yet another recipe is experimented with. Many of these are also made on Christmas Eve, so again lightening the workload for Christmas morning.

Then there is the dessert. Ahh, my favourite part of Christmas is the dessert. I go crazy and make far too many, something my husband feels honour bound to point out every year. Just as I feel bound to ignore his insidious comments every year. My table will be filled with jelly (jello), pavlova, ambrosia (a sweet here), cheesecake, fruit whip, strawberries, fresh fruit salad, cream, ice cream along with whatever else someone might want to make. All of them cold, all of them prepared well before hand. Our tableware might be paper/plastic, depending on the venue and the emphasis remains on no-one slaving the day away. A dip in the sea or the pool is great for rejuvenating oneself after that very necessary afternoon nap. And heating up the leftovers is just a couple of minutes job on the barbie and there’s tea all sorted for anyone who's got their appetite back.

Traditional Christmas dinner still exists for many New Zealand households, our family has just elected to develop a dinner more fitting for our season. Merry Christmas everyone.

About the Author: Hi, I’m a contemporary traditional/sweet author from New Zealand, published with The Wild Rose Press. I grew up in a very small coastal town in Southland, New Zealand’s southern-most province. An eagerness to travel, fostered by my mother, led me to join the Royal NZ Navy where I enjoyed a very satisfying career. I have been fortunate to have travelled extensively and lived in Singapore and Maryland USA.

I began writing contemporary romances when my youngest child started school. I enjoy including family issues, genealogy, rugby and/or snippets from my past military life in my stories. I endeavour to bring something of my beautiful country to romance readers everywhere, so New Zealand always features in my stories, normally as the setting. When not reading or writing, I find plenty to occupy my time with my family commitments. I currently live in Auckland with my husband and two of our four children.

www.AnneAshby.com

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of Time to Bury the Past

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Brenda Whiteside

2011-12-27T10:00:00.001-05:00

I wish Christmas came every day. The end of the year holidays are absolutely, without a doubt, all the way round my favorite time of year. Starting with Thanksgiving and through the New Year, there is static in the year – static that draws us together, sticks us to each other with an electric joy that is brighter than the strings of lights we drape around the tree.

My Christmas memories are rich and plenty. The year my sister finally sat on Santa’s lap was a good one. Little Debbie was always too shy and would never follow big sister Brenda on the path to the jolly old elf. Grown up Debra finally got the nerve to slide onto the fat man’s lap – she was forty years old.

I’ve lived in many places from California to Germany. How Christmas is celebrated, how it looks in different parts of the world makes for good memories.

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. December is a great time of year in Phoenix – the sweltering heat replaced by mild temps and sunny skies. Tossing the football around, playing baseball or riding the new bike on Christmas Day seemed perfectly natural to us desert rats. How totally incongruous it was for us to sing songs about dreaming of a white Christmas, but we did.

After I was married, we spent three Christmas holidays in Germany. Those have to be some of my fondest memories. The Germans have some marvelous traditions. The Christmas tree has its origins there. We would stroll along the streets of Nuremburg with lights and decorations galore. And on every other corner would be bratwurst stands selling not only the juicy brats in buns but also hot, spiced red wine. The traditions vary a bit in different parts of Germany. Christkindl brings gifts to children, but there is also a St. Nicholas Eve on December 6th. An old tradition, still practiced in the Nuremburg area was for children to leave their shoes outside and St. Nicholas would fill them with fruit, nuts and candy if they had been good. I can still smell and taste Christmas in Germany.

Christmas on the beaches of California was about as different from Germany as you could get. Red Hawaiian shirts, glitzy decorations and the warm Santa Ana winds lent a wholly different kind of season in Santa Barbara. That year, my husband was a student, my son was not quite two and we were as poor as the Cratchits. But we were also rich with love. My son was just as happy with a new coloring book and a package of plastic army men as he would have been with a new electronic toy.

And talk about glitzy – how about Christmas in Las Vegas? Glitzy and the desert, yes, but add to that snow. We actually had a white Christmas that year!

The last couple of decades have been spent in Minnesota. After the white Christmases of Germany, I was ecstatic to be back to a winter wonderland. Minnesotans know a thing or two about the season. Minneapolis has a holiday parade in the evenings on Nicolett Mall. The Mall by itself is glittery for the season and the parade makes it magical. St. Paul’s Winter Carnival doesn’t start until after the New Year but helps drag out the holidays that much longer. There is an ice carving competition worth braving the cold to see. My husband and I belong to a club that has a holiday party that takes over a hotel, everyone dresses in island garb and we forget for one night about the subzero temps outside. The highlight is Santa Mon’s visit.

We’re one of those crazy couples who give their dog a couple of presents. Rusty loves Christmas as much as I do, but he’s more into getting than giving. He sniffs out his new stuffed toys and opens the packages. He smiles. Really!

We’ve also spent Christmas in a hotel room in San Francisco with a two-foot high plastic tree and on the road between Miami and Phoenix, but wherever we’ve been one thing is the same – that magical feeling the season brings. And that’s all I need under my Christmas tree.

I have another reason to feel this season is particularly magical. I have three releases this month! One is a short ebook or long estory – however you want to categorize it, called Tattoos, Leather and Studs. If you’ve ever been on a blind date, you’ll enjoy Rachael’s experience. I have two stories in the Christmas Anthology called Warm Christmas Wishes. My stories are "An Elfin Secret" about a little girl who discovers her real daddy is Santa Clause (hmmmm…Mommy did more than kiss Santa under the mistletoe) and "On the Way to the Snow Ball" which tells the story of a surprise encounter in an elevator. And last, but not least, is my full-length novel, Honey On White Bread, a coming of age story set in 1945. I consider this to be one rich Christmas season for me!

One of my favorite things about Christmas is the giving. So I’d like to give away an e-book, Honey On White Bread. This is the book of my heart so I hope it touches yours. Please leave a comment and we’ll draw for the winner.

However you celebrate this time of year, I hope you get a little something special under your Christmas tree.

About the Author: Convinced she was born to be an artist, Brenda never took her love of writing seriously. And then one day, sometime after college, marriage to a man doing a stint in the army and the birth of her son, she found more satisfaction filling a blank page with words than an empty canvas with color. She left her paints behind. After publishing several short stories, she turned to writing novels. Regardless of the length of her story, the characters drive her forward, taking her on their journey of discovery and love.

Brenda and her husband are gypsies at heart currently making Minnesota their home and sharing it with their dog, Rusty. When she’s not at her laptop writing, she enjoys hiking, motorcycle riding and the company of good friends.

She loves to hear from readers. Find her at www.brendawhiteside.com or “like” her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Heather Hiestand

2011-12-27T04:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas is such a female holiday. Stores are full of pretty dresses for the babies, girls and women. Everything is beautifully decorated, baked goods abound, and of course, all the good chocolate comes out.

For my extended family celebration, I stand in the massive line at See’s Candies to pick up treats, now that the family members who sent Fannie Mae chocolates and loved Frangos are no longer with us. Beautiful, boxed chocolates is one family tradition I’m not willing to sacrifice, even though those chocolate lines get so long I’ve chatted with people long enough to exchange phone numbers with them!

Another thing we women get? Christmas-themed reading material! Cooking, fashion and lifestyle magazines all feature the season, cozy mystery series have holiday themed releases, and of course, Christmas romance novels start showing up around October. I start hoarding them and have a Christmas reading fest every December. I never see my husband’s truck, 4-wheeler and gun magazines featuring the holidays. Poor guys! It’s almost impossible to find a nice holiday outfit for them and their reading material is dull too. Women get to enjoy this time of year in many forms.

Heather Hiestand’s Christmas purchases for 2011:

*Marian’s Christmas Wish by Carla Kelly

*His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander

*A Clockwork Christmas – a Carina Press anthology

*Christmas by Michael Bublé

*Melissa and Doug Wooden Nativity Set (hey, I have a toddler!)

And what do I recommend for gifts? My new holiday story, steampunk romance novella Captain Andrew’s Flying Christmas—which of course released in October.

What are you stuffing into stockings this Christmas? Leave me a comment below. Once commenter will win an electronic copy of my sweet holiday romance, “Victoriana.”

Heather Hiestand is the author of seven novels as well as many novellas and short stories. Her imagination keeps her entertained with romance, mystery and futuristic/fantasy story ideas, many of which eventually become words on a page. She lives in Washington State with her husband and son. For more information, see her website at www.heatherhiestand.com.

Captain Andrew’s Flying Christmas Blurb:

Housemaid Linet Fenna would rather be an air pirate than a servant. When she finds the ladder to an airship dangling outside her garret window on Christmas Eve, 1892, she ascends to the skies above London on her late father’s flagship dirigible, the Christmas. The new captain is someone she never expected to see again, a dangerous, sexy foe. Is the Fenna family nemesis offering Linet her heart’s desire or a dastardly trap?

Captain Andrew’s motivations are as foggy as the coal-soaked sky. Prime Minister Gladstone’s Blockaders, a horde of automen and a teenage girl named Hatchet want Linet to fail in her quest to discover what happened to her missing family, but she is determined to have a happy Christmas.

Captain Andrew’s Flying Christmas links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Captain-Christmas-Steampunk-Smugglers-ebook/dp/B005WASTQK
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/96889
BN: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Captain-Andrews-Flying-Christmas/Heather-Hiestand/e/2940013314191
ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-captainandrew039sflyingchristmas-624819-339.html

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Linda LaRoque

2011-12-26T18:00:00.018-05:00

A Christmas Memory from 1967

I can still hear my mother’s chuckles….

My husband and I married on December 23, 1967. Yes, I know, that’s too close to Christmas. People are busy with the holidays. We heard all sorts of complaints from family and friends, but we were in love and the date suited our time schedule.

Larry was in the Army and I had one month left in college before graduation. Money was tight, almost non-existent, to be more exact. I’d sold my flute to buy my white silk wedding suit. My mother had a nice watch on layaway for my graduation gift, and she let me use what she’d paid down to buy Larry’s ring. He’d sold his TI stock to buy my rings. Alas, if we’d kept the stock, we might be rich today!

The night before the wedding, my brother and his wife delivered a wedding gift, a big box wrapped in Christmas paper, for us before going over to my aunt’s to spend the night. I wasn’t supposed to open it until after the wedding. It sat on top of the piano calling my name...Linda…open me, Linda. You know you want to.

My step-father had gone to bed and Mama, Larry and I sat in the living room talking. I wanted to know what was in the box. Larry said leave it until tomorrow. Mama and I exchanged glances and giggles and set about carefully removing the tape on one end of the box.

Years ago, Mama had been so excited about the doll she bought me for Christmas, that she showed it to me in advance. I’ll never forget her pulling that beautiful baby from the cabinet above the refrigerator. So, I can truthfully say, my Christmas curiosity was inherited, or instilled by my mother. Over the years, I’d been known to un-wrap gifts and carefully reseal them—without getting caught, I might add.

We successfully un-wrapped the entire package to reveal a beautiful set of Teflon cookware with copper colored lids. Not real copper but it was a beautiful set. I was thrilled as we didn’t have cookware. Mama and I, amid ripped paper, groans, and titters of laughter, put it all back together and on top of the piano.

My bother didn’t find out until many years later. Age has lessened my curiosity, just a smidgen, but just in case, Larry doesn’t put my gifts out until almost time to open them. He doesn’t trust me! Can you imagine?

About the Author:Linda LaRoque is a Texas girl, but the first time she got on a horse, it tossed her in the road dislocating her right shoulder. Forty years passed before she got on another, but it was older, slower, and she was wiser. Plus, her students looked on and it was important to save face.

A retired teacher who loves West Texas, its flora and fauna, and its people, Linda’s stories paint pictures of life, love, and learning set against the raw landscape of ranches and rural communities in Texas and the Midwest. She is a member of RWA, her local chapter of HOTRWA, NTRWA and Texas Mountain Trail Writers.

www.lindalaroque.com

Please leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of A Marshall of Her Own.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Mickie Sherwood

2011-12-26T14:00:00.060-05:00

THE SENIOR AND THE SMARTPHONE

It’s gift giving season. So, I decided to give one to someone really special. Me! I know that sounds selfish and, maybe, a little conceited. Wait before you scroll away. My perfectly good cell died even after I changed the battery a couple of times. It just wouldn’t hold a charge. I had no choice but to get another.

Have you heard the one about the senior and the smartphone? I don’t mean a senior in high school or college. Get my drift? Well, here’s my version.

Choosing a phone wasn’t the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It wasn’t the quickest, either. I agonized quite a bit about the best one to meet my needs. I just wanted to be able to make and receive calls. But, I wanted to look stylish while doing it. :-)

I took a secret poll of the types of cell phones used by my cool, young relatives. I did what I do before any purchase that locks me into a contract. (Yea, I signed a contract.) I combed the Internet comparing operating systems and features. I considered reviews—pros and cons. I practically collapsed from research overload until a commercial came on TV advertising just what I had in mind. And—off to the mall I ran! Straight to my provider. To get my first smartphone!

What happened when this senior raced into the store?

The answer after this brief taste of a sweet and spicy romance novel.

Stay tuned.

Louisiana Hot SauceContemporary—IR/MC—PG13—101,210 words—$5.99

It’s gift giving season. And—does Mesha have a doosy for Jack.

Reclusive Mesha Rayburn's safe haven disintegrated when athletic Jack Connolly raced into her life. He was like an uninvited guest to her pity party. Yet, his brashness stoked her dormant emotions and injected spunk into her veins with every bated word. And—calling the cinnamon-skinned Black woman "biggety" didn't help matters.

Mechanic Jack Connolly thought the trip down South to patch up and retrieve the bullet-ridden helicopter would be a pain. He never imagined the rhetoric becoming reality. But, thanks to Mesha's panicked outcry, it had. The pain radiating in his palm bothered him less than the one in his rear. Bold and beautiful, he had to know why she hid out in the boonies. As her transient tenant, he intended to find out at the risk of feeling the sting of her Louisiana Hot Sauce temper.

Now, back to "The Senior and the Smartphone."

What happened when this senior raced into the store?

I’m sure you’ve already guessed that phone was out of stock. (No surprise, right?)

Well, that didn’t deter me. The screen on the advertised smartphone wasn’t big enough, anyway. I was in the mood to give—and receive—a gift and by golly, I was going to get one. I browsed up on a phone that seemed just right. The 4.3” screen allowed me to read the clock without my lenses. And—OMG—all the icons in such beautiful colors! The choice was made. The transaction handled. (They made me buy a data plan. Didn’t I tell you I only wanted to look stylish “making calls”? I couldn’t get the phone without the plan) Oh, well.

Then, I believe I irritated the young sales lady with a simple question.

More about that in a second.

First, check out this sweet, spicy romance—only a heartbeat away!

Nicked HeartsContemporary—IR/MC—PG13—34,560 words—$3.99

K.C. can run but heartache follows.

And—so does Dr. Nick Hart, her father’s hired hand.

Blurb: Valentine’s Day surgery trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey? OVER HER DEAD BODY!

Rambunctious runaway K.C. Montreaux—thirtyish and coddled—crashes the men’s room at Bush Intercontinental and straight into Nick Hart. His clear eyes x-ray through her while she hovers with a facetious grin on a lovely caramel face. A ruckus launches her to an empty stall and forces him into defense mode. Drafted actions cloak Nick’s deceit—from the mainland to Maui—as he helps outwit her pursuer.

Will K.C. snuff out their combustible emotions like hushed Haleakala or forgive Nick’s misguided lies?

Dare his nicked heart dream?

URL: http://www.amazon.com/Nicked-Hearts-ebook/dp/B004TSLLXY

Welcome back to "The Senior and the Smartphone."

Now, what question turned the sales rep’s smile into a grimace?

Senior: “How do you turn the Internet off?”

She froze. I mean, she literally stopped moving.

Rep: “Here’s the off button.”

Senior: No, no. I understand about the off button. I want the Internet turned off.”

There was complete silence that magnified the frustrated sigh the rep released. She finally came out of her stupor.

Rep: “Just close your browser.”

Senior: “That doesn’t turn the Internet off.”

I could see things like, “Old people” and “Why do you need a phone like that if you want the Internet off?” just twirling around in her head. ;)

I never got an answer.

But, that was no biggie because I had a nephew who worked for a competing company. Surely, he would know how to turn the Internet off. Right? Right and wrong. That fellow broke my smartphone down like a professional marksman does his weapon, with one exception. He left it lying on the table, out of the case and minus the back cover.

Now in his defense, I was quizzing him about the different apps and how activating them tied into all of my personal information on the phone. I guess the last straw was that question. The one that stupefied the sales rep also drove him to the edge.

“How do you turn the Internet off?”

Here’s a question for you. How about a sweet read?

Keep reading to find out how to get yours.

Azure Apparition

Paranormal—AA—PG—3,226 words—Free Read

Romance can happen on Halloween where tricks turn into treats!

Blurb: Hardnosed construction worker, Frank Hickman, has got to be hallucinating. Is the shimmering beauty beside him a figment of his imagination? Or some warped Halloween prank pulled on him by his boys? Will Frank’s realization come too late?

URL: http://www.mickiesherwood.com/LAGNIAPPE.php

Now, for the conclusion of "The Senior and the Smartphone."

I still snicker whenever I recall my buying experience and the lessons learned. I’m a few years beyond the AARP joining age and don’t consider myself over the hill. But, boy, do the youngsters seem to condescend when a seasoned person knows what he or she wants, whether it makes sense to them or not.

I finally stumbled upon how to turn the data network off, right after one Sunday service—while standing on the church steps. (Now, take that sales rep.)

My smartphone is smart when I want it to be. (That may not be completely true from the recent news piece.) I have no trouble reading the screen. The camera takes nice pictures. The color is amazing. And 4G—and making and receiving calls—are only as good as the network.

It makes me happy when I view that beautiful keypad. My Pooh-Pooh wallpaper is simply gorgeous. It was thirty-nine degrees this morning. I know because I turned on the data network and selected the weather app.

All-in-all, I made a wise choice. I just love my gift to me. :-)

Here’s your chance for a download of either Louisiana Hot Sauce or Nicked Hearts. Simply leave a comment on the day of this post’s release and you’re entered in the drawing. One winner will be announced in the comments.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Mickie Sherwood~~Sweet, spicy romance—a heartbeat away~~Louisiana Lady

About the Author: Mickie Sherwood is an author and novice photographer who takes nature pictures right in her own backyard. She loves to engage in her favorite pastime which also incites her creativity. Combine that aspect of her life with the enjoyment of spending time with her family, and cruising vacations, and the development of interesting characters who encounter intriguing circumstances is not very far behind.

Official web site: http://www.mickiesherwood.com
Blog: http://www.mickiesherwood.com/blog

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Beth Trissell

2011-12-26T12:00:00.042-05:00

George Washington’s Christmas list for his stepchildren in 1758 was ambitious: “A bird on Bellows, A Cuckoo, A turnabout parrot, A Grocers Shop, An Aviary, A Prussian Dragoon, A Man Smoakg, (a man smoking?) 6 Small Books for Children, 1 Fash. dress’d Baby & other toys.” Children in colonial America might be given sweets or books, but most colonists wouldn’t have been this extravagant. Usually people of means gave one gift to their servants, apprentices, and children, but didn’t expect anything in return. These gifts were highly treasured and as commonly exchanged on New Year’s Day as on Christmas itself.

Christmas in colonial America bore faint similarity to the gala holiday we cherish today. The Puritans and Quakers (among other Protestant churches) banned celebrations altogether, claiming the holiday was popish and tied to pagan traditions. Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Lutherans introduced Christmas celebrations to colonial America, comprised of church services, dinners, dancing, visiting, and more of the same for wealthy folk. The music featured at balls and parties was the dance music of the period, much imported from across the Atlantic. Religious carols were also sung. “Joy to the World” became popular in my home state, Virginia. “The First Noel,” “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,” and “I Saw Three Ships” are several more carols still beloved today.

Rather than the fervor leading up to December 25th that dies out almost as soon as the last gift is opened now, Christmas Day in colonial America began a season of festivities that lasted until January 6—thus the “Twelve days of Christmas.” Twelfth Day, January 6, was the perfect occasion for colonists to enjoy balls, parties, and other festivals.

Our emphasis on Christmas as a special holiday for children didn’t come about until the mid-nineteenth century, brought to America by the more family centered Dutch and Germans. Christmas in colonial America was predominantly an adult oriented holiday. The Southern colonies were the root of many celebrations (less Quakers/Puritans in the South and more Anglicans) and these included parties, hunts, feasts, and church services. Children were tucked away in bed or left behind, neither seen or heard. One sign of entering the adult world was the honor of attending your first holiday ball. Think how exciting that must have been for young ladies awhirl in taffeta and lace.

Plantations and other colonial homes, even churches, were decorated with holly, laurel, garlands and sometimes lavender. My garden club used to decorate a colonial era home/museum and we were restricted to natural materials and native fruit like apples that might’ve been used in that day. Mistletoe, an ancient tradition and the centerpiece of every colonial home, was hung in a prominent place. Romantic couples found their way under the green leaves and white berries just as they do now. Light was of vital importance at this dark time of year. Yule logs blazed and candles were lit, the wealthier having more to light.

A key part of colonial Christmas celebrations were the large feasts. What foodstuffs were served and the amount set before the guests all depended on the provider’s income. The menu was similar to ours. Among the offerings at a colonial dinner might be ham, roast, turkey, fish or oysters, followed by mincemeat and other pies and desserts/treats like brandied peaches. Wines, brandy, rum punches, and other alcoholic beverages were consumed in abundance in well-to-do households. Slave owners gave out portions of liquor to their workers at Christmastime, partly as a holiday indulgence and partly to keep slaves at the home during their few days off work. Intoxicated workers were less likely to run away or make long trips to visit distant relations.

One of our most cherished traditions was unknown to colonists. The Christmas tree traveled to America from Germany in the nineteenth century. Christmas cards originated in London and didn’t gain popularity until the nineteenth century. Santa Claus is a combination of Saint Nicholas and Father Christmas from Dutch and English traditions. As Americans absorbed new people and cultures, the holiday traditions expanded. Today, Christmas is an ever-changing blend of the old and new.~

My holiday romance, "A Warrior for Christmas", set in Colonial America, is one of six romances featured in An American Rose Christmas Anthology, available in print or digital download from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon and other online booksellers.

For more on me and my work, my blog is the happening place and has links to everything else: https://bethtrissel.wordpress.com

Leave a comment for a chance to win either a PDF or Kindle version of An American Rose Christmas.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Annabel Aidan

2011-12-26T10:00:00.019-05:00

Yuletide Ghosts
By Annabel Aidan

We always think of ghosts around Halloween, but the holiday season around the Winter Solstice is another time when spirits walk the earth. Remember Jacob Marley’s ghost in Dickens’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL? He showed up during the time of year with the longest nights and the shortest days.

We bring in live greens, use candles, lights, fruits, berries, and things that sparkle to remind us of the abundance and light that will come again. We give each other gifts not just to show appreciation, but to share during cold, dark nights of the year. We send cards to let those far away know they’re still in our thoughts. We donate to food banks and toy drives, and answer Letters to Santa, following a long tradition of community sharing through the season where little grows and little will grow until the sun returns to full strength.

By sitting around the fire and sharing well-loved memories of departed loved ones, we keep their spirits close to us. Have you ever spent an evening in joyful reminiscence, and it feels like your loved one is back in the room with you? So often “ghost” has a negative connotation, but it doesn’t have to mean something sticky and ectoplasmic that frightens you. It can be the light kiss of a pleasant memory, that instant of connection, although the person (or beloved pet) is long gone.

This year, when you decorate for the holidays, why not add photographs of friends, family members, and pets who are no longer with you to the mix? Use festive frames, or those lovely small frames that turn photos into ornaments. You could even create a small “Memory Tree” with only photos and mementoes from loved ones. Set aside a special candle that you light each night, from the Winter Solstice through Twelfth Night (January 6), in memory of the departed. Remember the joy of the individual’s presence, and use that to enhance the joy of the season.

Sit around together and read a Christmas story -- whether it’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL or THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS or a holiday story by a modern author whose tale warms your heart.

Loss of loved ones is always difficult, and leaves a hole that can’t be filled. Yet, by using this season to focus on the positive memories, you craft new family traditions that link the past to the present to the future. It will feel like generations share the room together, in joy and love.

About the Author:

Annabel Aidan writes romantic suspense with a hint of magic. She publishes under a half a dozen names in both fiction and nonfiction. She spent over twenty years working behind the scenes on Broadway, in film and television, mostly working wardrobe. Her plays are produced in New York, London, Edinburgh, and Australia. If you run towards her undoing buttons, she will tear off your clothes and flip you into something else — and then read your tarot cards. Her latest release, ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT, is available digitally and in print from Champagne Books and on Amazon Kindle.

Website: http://www.devonellingtonwork.com/annabelaidan.html
Champagne Books: www.champagnebooks.com
Blog (as Devon Ellington): Ink in My Coffee
Twitter (as Devon Ellington): @DevonEllington

Leave a comment to win a PDF copy of the romantic comedy “Just Jump in and Fly” (under the Ava Dunne name). When a handsome Kris Teague and his Uncle Nick crash a sleigh and eight reindeer into Susanna Wright’s driveway, it takes a bit of convincing that they’ve got to turn back the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in order to save not just Christmas, but the world.

This was a limited edition story written and published for family and friends, which will be published and released in time for Yule 2012. Today’s copy is a copy of this special first edition, before wide release.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Roni Adams

2011-12-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

My favorite part of the Christmas holidays is walking into our local grocery store, Wegmans, in our small town and seeing the familiar faces of the “kids” home for Christmas. When I say “kids” I don’t just mean the college kids home on break but rather the grown adult children of our friends and neighbors who moved out of town so far that the only time they get back home is during the holidays. It’s as if the whole town comes to life once more as these familiar and yet new faces pop back up. Every time I turn the corner of an aisle with my cart there’s another warm hug, another “you look great, welcome home” greeting.

I can’t imagine what it must feel like for these folks to come back to the place where you grew up. In some ways, I’m sure it’s a comforting soothing feeling like putting on an old pair of jeans that you know will fit just right. But in other ways, for some, its stepping back to a time when everyone knows what you were like in childhood. In your new world you can be anyone you want. As an adult these “kids” have make their mark on the world in their career, with their own children, etc. But back home, especially in a small town, you really are always that same awkward teen or that pain in the butt kid who annoyed everyone. It doesn’t matter if you closed a $1M deal in finance, or you’re the new President of your company - you will always be “Burt and Sally’s” kid who crashed his folk's new car into the town sign when he was fifteen. In other words, you will always be a kid.

But whether these returning townfolk love it or hate it, coming home for the holidays is a time for joy and memories and for me and others who stayed here a feeling of completeness. I know in my own house nothing feels quite right until all 3 of my sons are back under my roof. It’s as if all the pieces of the puzzle have been returned to the table. Anyone with grown children probably understands what that means.

So for the holidays, here’s to all the “kids” who are going home and to the Moms who are welcoming them with smiles and open arms. Enjoy the holidays.

www.RoniAdams

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for the winner's choice of Roni's Christmas release from last year, Christmas Past, or from this year, Christmas Star.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Minnette Meador

2011-12-26T04:00:00.003-05:00

THE MIRACLE
by Minnette Meador

I stared out at the winter scene through my windshield, listening to my three-year-old whimpering next to me. It was Christmas Eve. The twins bundled in the back seat added their own crescendo of noise. I was crying too.

It was cold. Twenty degrees may not seem like a lot when you're snug in a seventy decree house, but sitting on the side of the road in a dead car with three screaming kids was murder. I was contemplating it.

Paul had stumbled to my bed to snuggle around 2am. He was burning up. 104 degrees and I gathered the entourage and dumped everyone in the car. It was the eighties and single moms were all the rage. Man, was I broke. Childcare was eating up more than half of my income and a severe winter was not helping matters. My car had no tags, no insurance, and probably wasn’t street legal (thanks to DEQ regulations), but this was an emergency. I didn’t call 911. I think in the panic I didn’t even think of it. All I could see through the parental tunnel vision was hopping into the car and driving to the hospital.

The car died about half way there.

I pulled Paul into my lap and rocked him to keep him warm. The twins were bundled in enough blankets to warm the inside of an igloo. They finally settled down when Paul stopped crying and I searched what I could see of the deserted road for a solution to our dilemma.

There were no such things as cell phones back in those days. Rich people had mobile phones in their cars, but the rest of us didn’t. I scanned the terrain and there were only houses, darkened buildings, and silver ice on the lawns and streets. I took stock.

There is nothing so clear in your mind than finally reaching the realization, too late, that you should have made a different decision. Hindsight is always glaringly clear. After letting that thought fry my brain for a bit, I reviewed by alternatives: 1) I could knock on the door of the nearest house (about a block away) and ask for help, but I had three children in the car, twins aged 1 ½ and a three-year-old. None of them had coats or boots on and the triple stroller sat on the porch of my duplex because mom was in such a rush to get to the hospital she literally scooped and ran. 2) Leave the kids in the car and run to the house to get help, hoping nothing would happen to my kids. Just not an option. 3) Try to carry all three. Not in a million years.

I ran my hand over Paul’s forehead and pulled in a shaking breath. He was still so hot and now he was getting lethargic.

Religion is a very private thing for me. Because of that I do not discuss my religious beliefs with anyone… and I mean anyone. However, on that night, in that hour, I adopted them all. I closed my eyes and prayed to any god who would listen to me.

Before I was even done a cascade of beautiful blue and red lights filled the interior of the car. The wailing voice of an angel startled the twins awake and they bawled. Paul stirred in my arms and smiled up at me. I thought they had come for all of us.

Instead, there was a tapping on the window and a bright light filled my eyes. I rolled down the window in bliss, not really caring who it might be. I was just so happy to see someone!

“Hello, Miss.” The voice was deeply masculine. “Are you all right?”

He lowered the flashlight and I saw a gleaming badge on his pocket. His rugged kind face stared down at us and I couldn’t stop the happy tears from flowing.

I spilled the story out in one long wintry breath and he helped me get the kids into his patrol car. I don’t remember if it was a hundred or two hundred times I thanked him, that night and later in a letter to the department.

On the short ride to the hospital Paul sat on my lap his face lit up like Christmas. He chattered non-stop until we reached the emergency room. And, of course, by the time we got in to see the doctor, he was perfectly fine.

In this time of financial turmoil it is difficult sometimes to remember there are so many things to be thankful for. I had a boss once who used to be a nurse. Whenever there was a major disaster or things went terribly wrong, she would turn to me and ask, “Did anyone die?” It always calmed me down.

Happy Holidays to everyone. May you find your own strength in adversity and your own bliss in hopeful times.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO RECEIVE AN E-COPY OF THE BELLE STALKER, AN URBAN FANTASY THRILLER IN ANY E-FORMAT.

Minnette Meador is a multi-published author who lives in Portland, Oregon with one slightly used husband, a black cat formerly known as Spook, and a 4 lb. poodle. The poodle, Pierre, pretty much runs the show. Facebook - Twitter - Web Site – Blog - Contact Minnette - Amazon Author Page

Watch for her newest thriller, THE BELLE STALKER, available now in Kindle, Nook, and all other eBook formats:

THE BELL STALKER
an urban fantasy thriller
by Minnette Meador

For a year, Belle Stark has struggled to conquer fears plaguing her since being attacked by a maniac who continues to roam free and the murder of her father. And she nearly succeeds, until she discovers her lover's mutilated body spread over the furniture, making Belle a prime suspect. Certain her attacker is to blame, she seeks help from her ex-husband, homicide detective Mike Cranston, the one person she swore she would never let back into her life, or heart. In their hunt for answers, the two uncover more than a lunatic: a supernatural underworld hidden beneath the tall skyscrapers of the city and a secret that could kill them both. Faced with a terrible choice, Belle surrenders herself to the hands of a monster and Mike must solve an ancient mystery before it's too late to save her---

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Nike Chillemi

2011-12-23T18:00:00.027-05:00

Christmas Cuisine
by Nike Chillemi, author of GOODBYE NOEL (Desert Breeze)

I love Christmas cooking. In fact, I have a collection of Christmas cookbooks that I add to every year. I've also sent Christmas cookbooks to friends as gifts. I love the smells of Christmas baking, as well as the aroma of a Christmas turkey or roast in the oven. There's nothing like that to make a house feel comfy.

Christmas is a time when folks try to be a blessing to others. They're generous. Part of that generosity carries over to food. People who start baking Christmas cookies the day after Thanksgiving (shall we call it Baking Friday) are making some sort of commitment that involves a generosity of time and effort, not to mention financial generosity in terms of the money they put out for ingredients. But more than that Christmas baking and cooking is a labor of love. The secret ingredient in all Christmas cooking is LOVE.

My Sanctuary Point historical romantic suspense series, set on the South Shore of Long Island, NY (1946/47) is a fictitious village that decks the halls for Christmas ( BURNING HEARTS, book one and GOODBYE NOEL, book two) These two novels present Scotch-Irish and African-American characters (traditions hailing from the British Isles), also Czechoslovak and Jewish characters (with Germanic traditions). As it turns out, America gets nearly all of its Christmas traditions from the British/Celtic and Germanic/Austrian cultures (the Christmas tree, wreaths, holly, the Yule Log, wassail, Christmas caroling, Christmas cards, the famous or infamous fruit cake, and don't forget mistletoe).

Christmas cuisine in the British Isles begins with a table that is gorgeously set out with the best china and gleaming crystal be it Christmas morning or Christmas dinner and decorated with candles and fresh fruit. The Christmas pudding must contain thirteen ingredients, one represents Jesus and the rest the twelve disciples. Other Christmas foods include the Christmas goose, turkey or chicken with stuffing, roasted potatoes, cranberry sauce, mince pie, and Christmas cake which is a rich fruit cake with marzipan and frosting.

The Christmas table in the Germanic countries (Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary) will have a duck, goose, rabbit, or roast of beef or pork with apple and sausage stuffing. Along side this will be red cabbage, potato dumplings, mulled sweet wine, ending with Christmas stolen, gingerbread, and Christmas cookies. In Sanctuary Point, the Czech families make walnut balls dusted with confectioner sugar for Christmas.

In GOODBYE NOEL, the Zebulon Jaspar family celebrates Christmas with some of the African-American Christmas traditions they brought with them from the south. Their Christmas table would hold oyster stew, Christmas ham, collard greens in a hot sauce, corn bread, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato pie.

The Carmoly family would celebrate Hanukkah with food traditions from their Germanic roots. With the menorah in their front window to commemorate this festival of lights, the family would sit down at a table set with their best Bavarian china. Mr. Carmoly would go to the bakery to get a festive challah bread and jelly donuts. Mrs. Carmoly would spend the day preparing potato latkes (pancakes), beef brisket, homemade applesauce, a medley of roasted winter vegetables, and babka (a tall yeast cake with raisins).

There's nothing I like better as the days get shorter and the nights get longer than to read a good Christmas murder mystery. I guess that's why I wrote GOODBYE NOEL this year. I do take breaks to cook and bake holiday delicacies. My husband 's family is of Italian heritage and mine is Eastern European. Both traditions maintain that Christmas Eve is a meatless meal. Of course, the table is decked out with candles and set with good dishes, though not our best china. This is a meal of anticipation, a meatless semi-fast. First comes the shrimp cocktail served with a horseradishy cocktail sauce. This is pure American, but hubby and I love it. Next comes the Ukrainian/Polish pierogi (cheese and potato dumplings) slathered in butter and served with sour cream or apple sauce. For vegetables, we go Italian serving asparagus broiled with grated Parmesan cheese. Every Christmas Eve we end the meal with coffee or Espresso and an Italian pastry New Yorkers call lobster tails. This is a lobster tail shaped puff pastry filled with whipped cream. Our family ends the night by going to a candlelight worship service.

I'd like to wish you all a blessed Christmas filled with good eats from my home to your home...and from all the characters in the village of Sanctuary Point. Merry Christmas!!!

About the Author: Nike Chillemi has been called a crime fictionista due to her passion for crime fiction. She was an Inspy Awards 2010 judge in the Suspense/Thriller/Mystery category and a judge in the 2011 Carol Awards in the suspense, mystery, and romantic suspense categories. She is the founding board member and chairman of the Grace Awards, a reader's choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. She writes book reviews for The Christian Pulse online magazine.

BURNING HEARTS is the first book in the crime wave that is sweeping the south shore of Long Island in The Sanctuary Point series, published by Desert Breeze. GOODBYE NOEL, the second book in the series released in December, 2011. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers (Ning).

Website: http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

Leave a comment for a chance to win a Kindle or Nook copy of GOODBYE NOEL

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Allison Knight

2011-12-23T14:00:00.012-05:00

CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

Christmas is a special time of year and a great time to share memories, so I'd like to share the memory of one of my best Christmases with you.

First though, I must tell you that I was born at 8:20 in the evening on December 25th, and no I'm not going to tell you the year. I will say that I was born in one of the worst blizzards ever to descend on our state. But that's neither here nor there.

My best Christmas was a few years ago. My wonderful DH took me to Hawaii, the big island. We stayed in a brand new condo on the west side of the island. The apartment was so new that when I tried to bake something, the oven wouldn't work. Maintenance arrived to remove the paper and tape obstructing the temperature gauge. It seems we were the first occupants of this unit.

We went shopping the next day and I bought two beautiful muumuus, while my DH bought matching shirts. We wore one of them the next day when we attended a lavish Luau.

But it only got better.

On Christmas day we went to Church to attend the services. The priest reminded us during his sermon that this was a special birthday and then asked if anyone else wascelebrating a birthday with Jesus. My husband poked me and with a lot of prodding, I finally stood. I was the only person in that full church who stood. I was wished a happy birthday by everyone around me while the rest of the congregation applauded. For the first time in my life, I got lots of birthday wishes. Believe me when I say, if your birthday falls on Christmas, chances are great it will be forgotten in the excitement of the day.

But my day only got better.

After church we drove to Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park. During our visit I got to walk on an actual volcano. The pungent smell of sulfur permeated the air, and steam rose from countless vent around us. I stood on hardened lava not many feet from the edge of the crater of an active volcano. I was impressed.

But there's more.

I'd already purchased a small standing rib roast to fix for our Christmas dinner. We learned long ago not to trust that restaurants will be open on holidays. On the way back from our visit to the volcano we passed a road side stand selling flowers. My DH stopped and bought me the most gorgeous arrangement for our table. In the center was a bird of paradise and surrounding it were twelve perfect orchids.

To make the day perfect the rib roast was one of the best I've ever cooked and the sunset was magnificent. It was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. A great Christmas too.

Award winning author, Allison Knight claims she's married to the world's greatest husband because he's her greatest supporter and works with her on all her projects. The mother of four children, she retired from teaching to move south to warmer climes. She has written and published nineteen romances for both paperback and digital publishers. Her third medieval romance from her 'song' series and a short story are available from Champagne Books, Inc.

Because she can never quite step out of teaching mode, she blogs often sharing the knowledge she gained writing and publishing in the romance genre. She also loves to talk about the growing digital market.

You can find her at:
www.AllisonKnight.com
www.AllisonKnight.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/AuthorAllisonKnight
She blogs once a month for The Writers' Vineyard, http://thewritersvineyard.com
Allison will be giving away a digital copy of Windsong, so be sure to leave a comment.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Ericka Scott

2011-12-23T12:00:00.024-05:00

Christmas Traditions at Ericka Scott’s House

Around the Scott household, the weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas all seem to be jam-packed with Christmas parties and family get-togethers. Some years, we have too many to fit into two short days. Over the last couple of years, I’ve let activities crowd out some of our most memorable traditions. Not this year.This year, we’re having a real tree which we’ll decorate to the strains of NSync’s Christmas album (it’s tradition, you know). Then, we’ll gather around the fireplace to light our Yule log and eat sugar cookies we made to distribute to the neighbors as gifts.

These cookies are, in our eyes, masterpieces. No, they aren’t those gorgeous things you see in bakery windows, but have the quirks that our family is known by. We decorate Christmas fish, only one of which is given three eyes and made especially for our friend, Jon. There are some traditional shapes, stars and Santas, but you are just as likely to find rocket ships amongst the Christmas trees, a T-Rex waiting to devour the red and green bunnies, and there is always a haunted church cookie -- complete with sugar black bats in the belfry.

Given the oddities of our family, I guess it’s no surprise to find that my holiday tales aren’t full of Christmas cheer, instead they tout titles like "A Christmas Curse," which can be found in the Twas a Dark and Delicious Christmas Anthology and my latest, Tidings of Fear (http://www.erickascott.com/books/tidingsoffear/). I guess I enjoy making readers shiver from more than just the cold.

TIDINGS OF FEAR

A psychic, a skeptic, and a serial killer…

Psychic Lia Morgan sees portents all around her. Although estranged from her family, she joins the search for her missing sister. A simple case gets complicated fast when she discovers her sister’s plethora of secrets includes a son.

Professor Jared Trimble’s world has no room for paranormal mumbo-jumbo. When asked to consult on a case involving a series of crossword puzzles, he’s conflicted. Is he a suspect, or an investigator?

While Lia uses her physic gift and follows signs, Jared uses his wits and experience. When the two collide, passions flare and the final clue brings them both into the bull’s-eye of a serial killer’s target.

Check out the Free Reads Page on my website in December for our infamous sugar cookie recipe (it contains eggnog) and also one for a decadent chocolate Yule log (yum).

And yes, Virginia, there were once camels in California…

About the Author: Ericka Scott is a multi-published, bestselling author of seductive suspense. She's written stories for as long as she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days, when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not chauffeuring children around, wishing she had a maid, or lurking at the library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three children.

Get a behind the scenes look at her writing and zany family on her blog at http://erickascott.blogspot.com.

She also loves friends, so come friend her at http://myspace.com/erickascott.

She's also on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ericka.scott and Twitter @ErickaScott.

You can find out more about her books at www.erickascott.com

Leave a comment for a chance to be entered into a drawing for an e-copy of Beckon the Dark, a horror romance novella, and a print/autographed copy of Wild Ghost Chase or Once Upon a Midnight (reader's choice).

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Kaylie Newell

2011-12-23T10:00:00.027-05:00

I LOVE Christmas movies. They make me laugh. They take me back. And every year, without fail, they get me into a yuletide frame of mind.
Here’s a list of some of my all time favorites, in no particular order:

A Christmas Vacation- I think I could recite this movie backwards and forwards. While tipsy on eggnog. And asleep. Yes, I’ve seen it that many times. But I’m probably not alone in my holiday film adoration. Who doesn’t love the somewhat disheveled image of cousin Eddie in his bathrobe, smoking a cigar and exclaiming, “The sh**ter was full!” Okay. Maybe not everyone. But still, a contemporary classic of the crude, comic variety.

It’s A Wonderful Life- This movie taught me about the simple wonders of a black and white film. It also introduced me to Jimmy Stewart (sigh). And that’s probably all I need to say about that :-)

Elf- The first time I saw this movie, I was nine months pregnant and had ankles the size of cantaloupes. I was hard pressed to find anything funny. But I laughed all the way through. And forgot about the fact that I couldn’t bend over to tie my own shoes (or even see my shoes, for that matter). A plus in my book. It’s been a favorite ever since.

A Miracle on 34th Street- Natalie Wood was so adorable in this movie. (Well, she was adorable period, I guess.) I love the scene where she was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with her little nose pressed against her apartment window. I’ve never been to New York City, but when I picture it, that scene always comes to mind. Magical.

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer- This one falls more into the TV category, but I always think of it as a movie. As kids, we watched it every year. Now, I have two little ones of my own and we still watch it. My girls have no idea they’re watching a classic from 1964. They just like the story. It’s sweet and simple. And I love that.

A Christmas Story- The quotes from this one are endless, and they still make me laugh, even after all these years. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” “He looks like a deranged Easter Bunny.” “Fra-gee-lay…must be Italian.” The leg lamp, the tongue sticking to the light pole, the Bumpus hounds…all classic scenes.

We watched it every Christmas Eve. And still do. Thanks, TBS ;)

Love Actually- Not only is this a fantastic movie, but the soundtrack is great, too. Bonus! I love the snippets you get of the characters’ lives and how they all relate to one another. It’s funny and guaranteed to make you cry at least once. And as Dolly Parton said in Steel Magnolias, “Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”
How very true.

Happy, happy holidays, everyone. To celebrate, I’m giving away a copy of my brand new paranormal/romantic suspense, A Death That Lingers to one lucky commenter below. Let me know what Christmas movies you love to snuggle up with!

For Kaylie Newell, storytelling is in the blood. Growing up the daughter of two gifted writers, she knew eventually she’d want to follow in their footsteps. While she’s written short stories her whole life, it wasn’t until after her kids were born that she decided to shoot for the moon and write her first romance novel. She hasn’t looked back since!

Kaylie lives in Southern Oregon with her husband, two little girls, an elderly Chihuahua mix, and two indifferent cats.

She would love to hear from you! You can find her at:

http://www.kaylienewell.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1121007272

http://twitter.com/#!/KaylieNewell

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Ginger Hanson

2011-12-23T08:00:00.018-05:00

A Christmas CaperbyGinger Hanson

When I first wrote the story that became “A Christmas Diamond for Merry,” it was a “first meet” story. In that version, the heroine went to the wrong house on Christmas Eve to make a pizza delivery and interrupted a burglary in process. She ended up tossed in a closet with the home owner.

I loved the story concept, but it never made it out of my computer into the print world.

Early last year, I decided to revamp the story, tie it into my Tassanoxie series and submit it to The Wild Rose Press for their holiday line up. Since the theme of the Tassanoxie stories is “small town, second chances,” I knew it could no longer be a first meet story, it would have to be a second chance at love story.

With that in mind, I kept four of the original concepts: the pizza delivery, a burglary in progress, a small closed space and a Christmas name for the heroine. Playing with these ideas proved to be great fun and by staying true to the series, my heroine (Merry) and the hero (Josh) get a second chance at love.

Plus, I got to add a popular Italian restaurant noted for its mouth-watering pizzas to Tassanoxie. Now my characters who like Italian food have a nice family restaurant to visit when they want a pizza.

Hmm, all this talk about pizza has made me hungry. Think I’ll go dig around the freezer and see if I can find myself a slice.

Hope your holidays have a happy ending to match the one Merry and Josh have!

About the Author: Ginger Hanson’s short story, "A Christmas Diamond for Merry," continues her contemporary romance series set in Tassanoxie, Alabama. To read more about the citizens of Tassanoxie, check out Feather’s Last Dance and Ellie’s Song. If you prefer historical romance, don’t miss Ginger’s Regency adventure romance, Lady Runaway. For those who want to learn more about writing, catch her essay in the recently released anthology How I Wrote My First Book. Tassanoxie, ALSmall town...Second chanceswww.GingerHanson.comLeave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Sweet Tale Books

2011-12-23T04:00:00.001-05:00

magine this dream (or memory). You’ve been able to shop in peace and quiet for months, laughing while wrapping the presents over Thanksgiving along with putting up all the decorations while playing fantastic Christmas music. (Here’s one for you that I just love; just make sure you listen until the end).

Christmas is fantastic for you in this dream, and you feel calm and happy, even getting all the food ready early.

On Christmas morning, you and your very happy family sit beside the Christmas tree near a fireplace in a wonderful home, all opening a mountain of gifts while drinking hot chocolate or coffee. The peace and laughter in the home is almost overwhelming as you all get exactly the gifts you want, regardless of price of financial constraints. It’s better than a Norman Rockwell picture, because you’re living it.

Man…wouldn’t that be wonderful? In reality, though, our Christmas is more like a whirlwind. We TRY to start shopping in September, but something always happens (like a list revision) to throw a wrench in that plan. Then on Christmas morning, the kids rip open presents that we usually have just finished wrapping, the dog’s barking because of all the activity, and the tree invariably falls over, knocking the hot chocolate all over the floor. Yeah. Welcome to my ‘peaceful’ Christmas.

But I have a solution. If your family members have access to a computer or a ebook reader, consider books for the holidays. You can even shop THAT morning and get them presents. I wish all presents would be that easy to buy…instant delivery. Can you imagine? You shop at 5:00 AM on Christmas morning, and by 5:01, they’re all at your door, all wrapped and ready to go by a magical Santa from UPS. Wow. Think we’ll ever get to that place?

If you want to go shopping at a cool place, have I got a deal for you!

First, I want to GIFT a book to you…a CHRISTMAS ROMANCE! Until December 30, go to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/105446 and enter the code WD72F at checkout for a free copy of ebook A Dream to Share.

Next, I want to tell you about this VERY cool site:

http://sweettalebooks.com/christmasbooks.html

This page has a TON of Christmas-related books, of all heats and genres. It’s a one-stop Christmas shop!

For FIVE posters below, I will gift you one FREE ebook from the list on www.sweettalebooks.com/christmasbooks.html up to $3 for the ebook.

What a sweet deal!!! A free book for everyone, and a free book for five winners. You can’t beat that, because EVERYONE WINS! LOL!

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Maeve Greyson

2011-12-22T18:00:00.018-05:00

Reclaim the magic…

I was nine years old when the magic of Christmas died. My father told me there was no such thing as Santa and I was getting much too old to believe in such nonsense. Heartbroken and betrayed, Christmas never quite sparkled the same as it had before. Harsh reality tarnished the once magical luster.

But then years later, I was gifted with two and then even later…another wondrous connection back to the magic. The mystical excitement of Santa, elves, a North Pole toy shop and flying reindeer reflected in the beautiful eyes of my daughters and now the wonder bubbles in my granddaughter’s laugh as we search the stars for Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve.

The magic is back and I’ll never lose it again. Maybe that’s why I write paranormal romances. That way I can have magic all year long.

So my wish for you this holiday season? May your lives be blessed with wonder and magic and may your dreams be filled with joy.

And since it is the season of giving…I’ll be giving one lucky commenter an ARC of my upcoming Brava release, ETERNITY’S MARK. And if you go to my website (www.maevegreyson.com)and sign up to receive my newsletter, your name will be entered in the drawing twice! (And don’t worry – I only send newsletters when I have NEWS – I promise I won’t stuff your inbox and I will NEVER share your email.)

All my best to you all!Maeve

Eternity’s Mark

A sexy Scot. A mystical inheritance. What could go wrong?

Veterinarian Hannah MacPherson knows better than to believe in love at first—or any—sight.

True, being swept away by Taggart de Gaelson to the vast Scottish castle she’s mysteriously inherited is uber-romantic. The legacy is totally legitimate, and its messenger is big, broad-shouldered, and smokin’ in more ways than one…

Too bad Taggart forgot to mention that Hannah’s also a Guardian of magical dragons called the Draecna. And as Hannah’s sworn otherworldly protector, Taggart is honor-bound not to lay a hand on her, no matter how close he gets…

But turning duty into pleasure is just too tempting. And for Hannah, mastering her powers and saving two worlds from evil will be way easier than showing one hardheaded warrior that breaking all the rules means they are eternally made for each other…

About the Author: Maeve Greyson writes paranormal romances with a Celtic twist from her cozy little home not too far from Kentucky Lake. Tucked away in the middle of nowhere, Maeve listens to the wind whispering through the trees and hears the voices of her characters.

Her debut novel, BEYOND A HIGHLAND WHISPER is available now from The Wild Rose Press and other online retailers. March 2012 will see two new paranormal romances from Maeve. THE HIGHLANDER’S FURY releases from The Wild Rose Press on March 2 and ETERNITY’S MARK releases from Kensington’s Brava line on March 27th. ETERNITY’S MARK was the winner of Kensington Brava and RT Book Reviews 2011 Writing With the Stars Contest.

Maeve can also be found occasionally wandering around in these corners of cyberspace:

Website: http://www.maevegreyson.com/

Blog: http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson OR http://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson#!/maeve.greyson.page

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/maevegreyson

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Cate Masters

2011-12-22T14:00:00.027-05:00

Not all gifts come wrapped

When my kids were little, they loved to go for car rides during the holiday season. After dinner, we’d pile in the car and cruise the residential sections of the city, and ooh and ahhh at the lighted homes. They’d take special note of the neighborhoods whose residents seemed to have an extra dose of holiday spirit, as evidenced by their incredible displays. Their faces would reflect the glow of the lights, even after we’d returned home, as they talked about their favorites.

Such a simple thing, to spend some time with them in the car. Not worrying about having to get to work or day care or school – certainly a treat for me, back when life was a blur of rushing from one place to the next. And yet, that simple act had a lasting impact. It became a tradition they looked forward to as much as baking cookies or reading Christmas stories (though reading Christmas stories is another wonderful tradition).

These days, I love to write holiday stories as much as read them. My Christmas fantasy, Ground Rules, is available from The Wild Rose Press. I hope you’ll pop over to my blog for the excerpt, Casting Call, book video and more: http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2009/08/ground-rules-christmas-fantasy.html.

Can a bad boy angel and a dispirited mortal find a Christmas miracle together?

Alice Garner scores a great contract to illustrate a children’s book by a famous author, but lack of inspiration forces her to cancel her holiday plans. Alone on Christmas to meet her looming deadline, Alice wishes on her Christmas tree angel for help.

Luke, newly promoted to Watcher Angel, is reluctant to take the assignment. Long ago, his fiancée broke his mortal heart on Christmas Eve, and even returning to Earth on his Harley won’t dull the sting. Good thing the ground rules forbid getting involved with an assignment—Alice is tempting, but he’d rather not stay on Earth.

But Luke brings Alice more than inspiration. He reawakens her heart. Now Alice has to convince him he’s her greatest wish. With a little Christmas magic, can she convince him to break the ground rules and stay?

About the Author: Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance! Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”

When not spending time with her family, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.

Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters[AT]gmail.com

Also find Cate online at:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=ts

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CateMasters

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2944596.Cate_Masters

Coffee Time Romance: http://coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1752

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3ACate+Masters&keywords=Cate+Masters&ie=UTF8&qid=1292425612&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B002OBQ98A

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CateMasters

Leave a comment for a chance to win a hand-crafted beaded book thong, and two 1.46 oz Hershey Kisses.

Happy holidays!Cate

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Jane Toombs

2011-12-22T12:00:00.017-05:00

When is the positively worst date to be born? No, not Christmas, because Christmas babies are special. But think about the days between Christmas and New Years. Yup--not a good time for a birthday. Mine’s the 27 and one of my daughters-in-law is the 28. We bonded over our one Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday present. Sure the Christmas baby has the same message, but at least it IS his or her birthday.

She’s married to my older son, whose birthday is in December, too--but the 10. When he was younger I made his special by putting up the tree on that day, plus a birthday dinner and presents. Easy, because it was before Christmas, not after.

So if you’re a planner rather than a "we’ll take what we get at whatever time of the year", please don’t plan to have a baby just after Christmas.

I used to go all out for Christmas--starting with a live tree every December. As my five got older, I bought an artificial tree, but it never felt the same. And once they were all on their own, I gave up a tree altogether.

Please don’t think --”How sad.” Because it really isn’t. Once you get into your eighties you begin to let go of some traditions that are just too much effort for old folks. I save my energy for important parts of Christmas like still doing Christmas letters. I freely admit sometimes these turn into New Year’s letters, but it’s still the right season. I do like to hear from old friends and, whether they want to hear from me once a year or not, my take is that they do. They’ll be late again this year due to edits, but they will get done.

Do we still celebrate Christmas? Of course! We’re not that senile--yet, anyway. And a beautiful holiday it still is.

One of the three edits I’ve been doing is for a Christmas short story--one of the twelve days of Christmas books Red Rose Publishing is putting out this year:

THE CHRISTMAS CATALYST

A ten-year-old girl whose father was killed in Afghanistan and a stray mutt become the catalyst for a happy Christmas.

~~Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of "The Christmas Catalyst."~~ This prize has already been awarded.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Donna Alward

2011-12-22T10:00:00.019-05:00

Christmas projects

I have always maintained that I am not crafty. When it comes to hot glue, I usually suffer multiple burns. If it required painting or drawing, it looks like something my kids did in kindergarten. If it requires great dexterity – forget it. I’m all thumbs.

But it doesn’t stop me from trying just the same. Because while I’m not crafty, I AM creative. Add that in to a thrifty streak that hates to throw anything out, and…

Well, sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.

One thing that usually works out is treats. A holiday can full of baked treats is never a bad idea…so Chocolate Peanut Butter balls, shortbread, Gumdrop Cake…this is a great idea for neighbours, teachers, and PWHE: People Who Have Everything. A variation of this that is really festive is to buy a holiday jar and fill it with homemade peanut brittle, fudge, or bark. This year, I made white chocolate pistachio cranberry bark that is delicious.

I do like to knit as well, but I’m horribly slow. I think it’s because I’m the only lefty in the family and I learned right handed (and I’m too old and confused to try to switch now!). Last year I knit some of my gift bags from holiday yarn I bought on sale at the end of season. When the nieces and nephews were younger, they sometimes got mittens and scarves. I’ve got cute ornament patterns for stockings and bells that have found their way on the tops of packages. Then there’s dishcloths knit in Christmas colours. This year I’m knitting a Christmas wreath. If it turns out well, a lot of people might get one in their box next year.
My kids often get bead kits as well, so we usually have a fun afternoon putting together bead ornaments. I tried my hand at candles this summer and they turned out quite well, despite the number of cuts on my thumbs from the sharp edges of the molds.

The one thing I’m REALLY not good at is sewing, but that doesn’t necessarily stop me from making presents, especially if I’ve come by material. This year, I made tea towels out of white cotton waffle fabric and put inside each family basket. We also started making our own wine, so I made really cute wine bottle bags out of the plum drapes that hung in my daughter’s bedroom – and some pretty silver and purple wired ribbon from Michaels.

All in all – I finished more projects than I expected to this year, and that’s a good thing! The one thing I haven’t finished? A cross stitch I bought ages ago. Every time I think about working on it, I somehow find something else to do.

What about you? How crafty are you, and what are some of your favourite projects? Let me know and I’ll draw for a copy of my e-book, OFF THE CLOCK – the first novella in my FIRST RESPONDERS series from Samhain Publishing. Look for the second book, IN THE LINE OF DUTY, out in 2012.

Bio: A busy wife and mother of three (2 daughters and the family dog), Donna Alward believes hers is the best job in the world; a combination of stay-at-home mom and romance novelist.

An avid reader since childhood, Donna always made up her own stories. She completed her Arts Degree in English Literature in 1994, but it wasn't until 2001 that she penned her first full-length novel, and found herself hooked on writing romance. In 2006 she sold her first manuscript, and now writes warm, emotional stories for Harlequin's Romance line.

Donna loves being back on the East Coast of Canada after nearly 12 years in Alberta where her Harlequin career began, writing about cowboys and the west. Donna's debut Romance, Hired by the Cowboy, was awarded the Booksellers Best Award in 2008 for Best Traditional Romance.

Donna loves to hear from readers; you can contact her through her website at www.donnaalward.com , on facebook as Donna Alward, Romance Author and on twitter @DonnaAlward.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Caroline McCall

2011-12-22T08:00:00.022-05:00

The Grouch before Christmas

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. I ’m a winter baby. But being born a week before Christmas tends to cramp your birthday style. As a child, I smiled politely at the birthday-Christmas presents and wished that I’d been born in June. When I grew up, I was the girl who sat at the only table for two in a restaurant packed with office parties, and don’t get me started on the music. When I finally got a home of my own, I refused to buy a Christmas tree until after the seventeenth of December. Call me a Christmas grouch – but not to my face, please.

My most unusual birthday gift arrived late one November from the local rescue centre — two black and white bundles of fur and mischief. By mid December, they were bigger, bolder and we were confident kitten owners — until Christmas came. The attic was raided for last years’ angels and other treasures from Christmases past. I made mulled wine, the lights were switched on and we sat in front of a log fire enjoying the festive cheer. The kittens were conspicuous by their absence.

At 3 a.m. there was a loud crash and we hurried downstairs. Christmas carnage stretched from one end of the house to the other. In the fallen Christmas tree, two kittens fought over a sparkling bauble. As the culprits made their escape, trails of tinsel followed in their wake. They loved Christmas, especially that tree and no matter what we did, we couldn’t keep them out of it. By New Year, we knew the secret that all feline owners come to know – you cannot train a cat.

The Christmas grouch had finally met her match!

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a $25 GC for Amazon.com.

About the Author: Raised on a diet of romance and science fiction novels, it’s not surprising that Caroline McCall turned to writing time travel and paranormal romance. She lives with her partner, and several spoilt, ungrateful felines, on the windswept east coast of Ireland. Caroline does most of the plotting for her novels while walking on the beach near her home.

Caroline has done everything, from working as a roadie for a rock and roll band to being an heir hunter. Her debut novel, Time Slip was published by Ellora’s Cave in September 2011, and her next novel, Jake’s Prisoner, will be published in early 2012. She can be contacted at caroline@caroline-mccall.com

Shocked by the brutal murder of her colleague, curator Ingrid runs for her life through the dark exhibit halls of the museum where she works-straight into the arms of Temporal Agent Strom. He's been sent back in time to stop a twenty-sixth-century criminal who is stealing artifacts from the past.

Falling in love with Ingrid wasn't part of the mission. Strom knows they can have no future together. Five hundred years separate them, but the attraction that flares between the couple is impossible to resist. Their brief, passionate affair has consequences. When Strom returns to his own century, Ingrid must find a way to send him a message across time.

Website linksPublisher Link Amazon Barnes and Noble

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest:: Stephanie Beck

2011-12-22T04:00:00.001-05:00

Cookie Fun at Christmas

I love winter. Okay, in Minnesota I don’t love the snow so much or the frigid temperatures, but in the right proportions it’s not so bad. The best part of winter and the holidays is the food. My family, friends and I like to swap around batches of cookies to make the baking during the holidays more fun and less work. As my daughters get older, we’ve started employing a few fun decorating ideas.

Frosting: this is a given, but we crank up the flavors and colors with peppermint extract and some super bright food dyes.

Candy: not just red hots for Rudolf’s nose. We get small jelly beans and Mike and Ikes to make any sugar cookie a little more festive.

Raw Sugar: The little rocks of white and brown make interesting textures and are a yummy addition to any cookie.

Marshmallow: colored ones, little ones, big ones cut in slices—the fluffy goodness of a marshmallow can kick a cookie into a new stratosphere.

May all your cookies be yummy and your holidays be bright!!

***CONTEST***
Share one of your cookie decorating tips and be entered to win a goodie bag—only ships to the US—sorry :-)

Stephanie Beck

A Winter Tale With Marshmallows
No winter night is complete without marshmallows.

Pregnant and on the run, Mona Renalds is a werewolf with trouble nipping at her heals. She wants a new life for herself and the twins she’s carrying. Embracing the future can’t happen until she finds an alpha male strong enough to take on her former pack leader.

Chris Meyters is alpha of Haven Pack. Mild mannered and progressive, he tries to reverse the archaic methods of his pack’s previous leaders. When Mona comes into his diner requesting sanctuary, his primitive instinct to claim her nearly consumes him, but he fights himself to give her the choices she was denied in her former pack.

Surrounded by the Pennsylvania winter of snow, sledding parties and creamy cups of hot chocolate, Chris and Mona are prepared to do whatever it takes in order to maintain the domestic bliss they’ve found with each other.

About the Author: Even before she understood what all the thrusting meant,
Stephanie Beck loved reading romance. When the stories didn’t end the
way she wanted, writing her own was the perfect solution. From
ridiculous humor to erotica, Stephanie loves being transported within
a story. When she’s not elbow deep in words, her husband and two
daughters command her attention. After they are sleeping she knits or
bakes cookies...or squeezes in more writing.

www.StephanieBeck.net

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Kathryn Meyer Griffith

2011-12-21T18:00:00.033-05:00

The Writing of THE ICE BRIDGEBy Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Eight years ago my husband, Russell, and I were celebrating our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and decided to return to quaint Mackinac Island in Michigan. We’d been there a few years before, but just for a quick afternoon stopover on our way home from visiting family in Wisconsin. We’d loved the Island for the few hours we’d been on it and promised ourselves we’d go there again someday. So when we began to plan for our anniversary vacation we traveled back for a longer stay of six days. I’d made reservations months ahead at the Iroquois Hotel on the water’s edge of Lake Huron and when the time came, after packing up everything we’d need, we jumped in the car and took off.

The Island doesn’t allow cars, only bicycles, horses and snowmobiles (in the winter) so we left our vehicle in a Mackinaw City parking lot on the mainland and boarded the ferry that would take us across the water to the Island, our luggage and two bicycles in tow. It was much cheaper to bring our own bikes instead of rent them there.

It was late August and the Island was beautiful. Crowded with colorful, fragrant flowers, clomping horses, whizzing bicycles and, of course, lots of tourists. Fudgies as they were called because they came, purchased and devoured so much of the little town’s fudge.

The Iroquois Hotel was lovely with its bright pastel colors and friendly service; a fancy in-house restaurant and our room with its wall of windows facing the lake. A lake that to me was as large as an ocean…because it went on forever.

Our six days there were heaven. We rode our bikes, pedalling around the horses, carriages, and equine taxis, around the eight-mile in circumference island and enjoyed the sights. The friendly people. The breathtaking views of water, boats and woods. The fudge. We sped along West Bluff Road to the ritzy Grand Hotel (made famous in the 1980 romantic time travel movie Somewhere in Time with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve), ate the scrumptious and lavish tourists’ brunch there and afterwards, so full we could barely ride our bicycles, we gawked at the magnificent Victorian mansions with their elaborate gardens lining Lake Shore Drive.

We visited Fort Mackinac and listened amusedly to people talk about the ghost soldier some had reported seeing when twilight began to fall. My husband, a photography buff, even slipped out of our hotel room in the middle of one foggy night to get artsy pictures with our new digital camera of the fort, hoping to catch the ghost. He captured no ghost, but plenty of stunning photographs.

One night we even sat, spellbound, as a Lake Huron thunderstorm pounded wildly at our wall of windows. It was as if we were gazing at a tumultuous ocean.

Then one day someone, in a cubbyhole of a local hamburger joint, over our lunch, said something about the ice bridge, as the islanders called it. During the dead of winter, when the straits froze over, it was a narrow path that stretched about four miles across the ice that separated Mackinac Island from the St. Ignace mainland. The locals would drive in old Christmas trees along the path to show the way, to show it was now safe. To them the ice bridge meant freedom to come and go for up to two months a year without paying ferryboat or airplane fees. To me it sparked an idea for my next book…what if someone crossed the ice bridge one wintry night and fell through the ice? And disappeared…maybe even died?

I started asking questions of the locals: Had someone ever fallen through the ice and perished? Turns out over the years, that yes, some people actually had. Fallen in. When the ice wasn’t firm enough. Or when they’d gone off the solid marked path. Or in a snowstorm. Some on snowmobiles. Some were saved, dragged out, and some had not been. Hmmm.

That’s all it took for the book to begin forming in my head. The rest of the trip I looked at the Island with different eyes. A writer’s eyes. Writer’s ears. I filed away the memories and the home-grown stories recounted to me. Though most of my earlier books were romantic horror, I’d written a couple of straight contemporary murder mysteries, Scraps of Paper and All Things Slip Away, a few years before and Avalon Books had published them. I’d quite enjoyed writing them.

So I thought I’d write another one with Mackinac Island and its real and fictional ghost tales as the background. I’d show the beauty of the island, changing of the seasons, what it was like in summer, fall and winter (tons of snow and ice), and describe the historical landmarks. I’d spotlight the quirky close-knit inhabitants and have the protagonist gather their imaginary spirit stories to put into the ghost book she was writing. I’d make the Island nearly a main character itself with its enigmas, water, snow, ice and fog.

The novel would be about a woman, Charlotte, jilted in love, coming back to heal and visit her poignant childhood playground and her lonely Aunt Bess. She’d meet an Island cop, Matt, and together they’d not only fall in love but would embark on a great dangerous adventure together. There’d be a spunky old lady, Hannah, living next door and the four would be great friends. Until the old lady disappears on a winter’s night while crossing the ice bridge and the mystery would begin. Had Hannah been murdered by someone….how exactly…by whom…and why? The remainder of the book would be the unraveling of that mystery as the central characters try to keep from being killed themselves by the devious murderer behind Hannah’s death. I’d embed the Island’s so-called ghost tales throughout the book to spice up the story even more. So it’d be a romantic ghostly murder mystery. Ah, ha. I couldn’t wait to begin.

When my husband and I returned home, refreshed and happy, I started it right away, with the memories of lovely Mackinac still fresh in my mind. Gosh, how I’d loved that Island. A tiny piece of old-fashioned paradise. The book came easily to me. And so The Ice Bridge was born. Now with a stunning new cover by Dawne Dominique and edited by my publisher, Kim Richards Gilchrist, it’s out in the world for everyone to read and, I hope, enjoy.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a download of The Ice Bridge.

About the Author: Kathryn Meyer Griffith has been writing for nearly forty years and has published 14 novels and 8 short stories since 1984 with Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books and Eternal Press in the horror, romantic paranormal, suspense and murder mystery genres. Learn more about her at www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith or www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith or www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG and http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1019954486

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Linda Engman

2011-12-21T14:00:00.018-05:00

Romance at the Holidays

Romance at the Holidays. I can’t think of anything better. Maybe because I met my husband at the beginning of the holiday season. It was a snowy December evening, I was out having cocktails with friends, and in walked this tall, hot guy with a wicked sexy smile. The holidays were never the same after that. Our first official date was on New Year’s Eve, I met his entire clan of a family the next Christmas Eve, the following year I enjoyed a romantic Christmas reunion with him after five long months apart when he was working out of state, and was given a diamond engagement ring during the holiday season a year after that. After years of marriage I still get excited when December rolls around.

When writing my just released romance novel Manhattan Holiday, which takes place during the New Year holiday, I tapped into all those excited, heady, nervous-pit-in-the-stomach emotions and feelings I experienced years ago, to create the main characters for this story. I relived what it was like to open a door and see a gorgeous guy waiting on the other side, ready to take me out for the evening. How it felt to spend the holidays together, getting to know one another amongst a romantic backdrop of twinkling lights and snowflakes. It was so much fun creating a cozy sensual romantic world for my hero and heroine, I found it hard to leave them at the end of each writing work day.

As long as we’re talking cozy romantic atmospheres, I can’t help but mention my love of decorating for the season. At my lake home, which I share with my husband and our two teenagers, the feel is rustic/modern. So most of my decorating is twinkle lights on greens and woodsy themed seasonal arrangements and items, that I eagerly display mid-November until after Valentine’s Day. (We live in northern Wisconsin where it’s dark by 4pm so twinkle lights during this time are a must.) Decorating is simple and natural. Nothing to glitzy or showy for our Chalet style home. On the other hand, when I was working on Manhattan Holiday I had a blast layering holiday detail upon detail in the scenes that took place in the heroine, April Sutton’s apartment and the hero, Roman Vasquez’s penthouse condo, along with another home location in Miami. Each place so different from my woodsy home that it was a joy to decorate them. Although, I have to say April’s place and the location in Miami, definitely outdid Roman’s single-guy’s-pad by a mile when it came to holiday décor.

No matter if you’re falling in love at the holidays or just love decorating for the holidays...make it romantic!

Happy Holidays,Linda

About the Author: Linda Engman loves to write contemporary romances about falling for someone when you least expect it. Her novels are set in small hometowns and other times in fast-paced big cities, and always sexy and romantic. When she's not writing she loves shopping for cute heels, playing tennis, spending time with her family, and lives in northwest Wisconsin on a lake with her husband, two teenagers, and two dogs. Linda Engman

Linda will be giving away a download of Manhattan Holiday to one lucky commenter.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Clare Revell

2011-12-21T12:00:00.028-05:00

The First Christmas by Clare Revell

The tall carpenter stood in the stable, looking down at the tiny newborn baby in his arms. Mary, his wife, lay exhausted on the pile of straw beside him. He loved her so much, didn’t think they’d have make it. Especially with everywhere full and Mary in labour. He’d never tell anyone how scared he was the last few hours. And as for delivering the baby himself...

He shuddered. He’d done it, but never again. He sat down slowly, the babe still sleeping peacefully in his arms. The angel said this babe was the son of God. It wasn’t his flesh and blood; he knew that. He’d known for months. He’d been ready to divorce Mary, furious that she’d cheated on him, but the angel had set him right on that score. His faith and love for the woman next to him wasn’t misplaced or in vain.

He stroked the babe’s cheek. “I will protect you, love you, raise you as much as any children I may have in the future with your mother.” He took a deep breath. “Lord, where do I, a mere carpenter, fit into this plan You have? I’m a man...how can I be a father to the Son of God? I know nothing about children or raising them. Surely a rabbi would have been a better choice. I don’t even know the scriptures as much as some men.”

The babe began to cry and he rocked him gently. “Shhh, my son. Let mamma sleep a little longer. She had a hard time birthing you.” For an instant it seemed all the light went from the room, then as the crying lessened the light returned.

Mary stirred. “Joseph...is he okay?”

He smoothed Mary’s hair from her face. “He’s fine, he’s gone back to sleep. Rest, my love, I’ve got him.”

Mary smiled. “You’re a good father. We don’t deserve you. Any other man would have cast us out.”

He kissed her forehead. “You’re my wife, and he’s my son. That’s what matters.”

“God sent you to me, Joseph,” she whispered. “He wanted you to raise His son here on Earth.”

He looked down at the baby. “A son of my love,” he whispered. “Lord, help us protect your son and help him fulfill his destiny.”

------

About the Author: Clare lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from a early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fan-fiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, reading, sewing or keeping house or doing the many piles of laundry her children manage to make, she's working part time in the breakfast club at one of the local schools.

She has been a Christian for more than half her life. She goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of three registrars.

Visit her at www.revell124.plus.com/clarerevell

Her Christmas release this year is Time's Arrow.

Touching a milestone, Jonni Peterson is catapulted through time into a world both familiar and strange. Finding herself in Victorian England, she discovers love in the most unexpected place— at the feet of the man whose carriage knocked her down.

Lord Sebastian Tyler needs to remarry, but preferably not a woman of his mother’s choosing. The woman his carriage runs over both irritates and fascinates him. Could she be the answer to his prayers?

Will the arrow of love find them both before time runs out and the portal to the present reopens?

Buy Links:PBG - http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/time-s-arrow
Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Times-Arrow-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B006G4GNXM/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1
Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Times-Arrow-Holiday-Extravaganza-ebook/dp/B006G4GNXM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322669953&sr=8-1
Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a copy of Time's Arrow.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Joya Fields

2011-12-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

A Grandmother’s Love and Holiday Traditions

I admit it. I go a little over-the-top around the holidays. But it’s okay, because I think it’s hereditary. My grandmother loved to bake, decorate, host parties, and cook feasts. Especially around Christmas.

I was the type of kid who wanted to stay up through the night Christmas Eve because I couldn’t wait for it to be Christmas morning. I usually fell asleep around three in the morning or so. I know…my poor parents. My grandmother hosted her party on Christmas Eve, and I remember one year when we stayed late. The clock hit midnight and I jumped from my chair and proclaimed it Christmas Day. The adults glanced at me—whiskey sours in hand—and told me New Year’s was celebrated at midnight, but not Christmas. What? That seemed very backward to me. Christmas was the big deal. Who cared about the New Year?

Some of my fondest Christmas memories involve my grandmother, who passed away many years ago. To this day, her favorite Christmas song, “Oh Holy Night,” brings tears to my eyes the first time I hear it every December. But her love of Christmas festivities lives on through me. I blast the station that plays non-stop Christmas music, bake dozens of cookies, and host both sides of the family for parties. Her recipes still grace our table to this day, and I hope to pass along her traditions to the next generation.

Memories of my grandmother play a huge role in my writing, too. Here’s a blurb of my December release, Love Delivered, which releases today from The Wild Rose Press.

Bianca McClain has worked for years to achieve her dream job in New York City. After her grandmother passes away, she finds herself returning to the small town she grew up in to ready her house for sale. The slow, friendly pace of the town and its citizens, especially Pete the mailman, appeal to her—but there’s no way she’s giving up everything she’s accomplished in New York.

Born and raised in Centreville, MD, Pete Schaeffer loves his small town mail carrier job and can’t imagine leaving for any reason—or anyone—so he's dumbfounded by his intense attraction to Bianca, a woman with a fast-paced life in the big city.

Pete and Bianca soon find themselves lost in each other’s arms. When the summer ends, they will have big decisions to make. Will the small-town guy and big-city girl find common ground and lasting love, or will their differences drive them apart?

Grandparents play a special role in a child’s life. Do you have any stories to share about your holiday memories with your grandparents? I’d love to hear them.
Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a Love Delivered tote bag.

About the Author:Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines and her debut novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE, a romantic suspense, will release January, 2012 from The Wild Rose Press. Her first novella, LOVE DELIVERED, a contemporary romance, releases December 21, 2011.

Over the years, Joya has taught arts and crafts, worked in public relations, owned a daycare center, helped her children raise prize-winning 4-H livestock, competed in three marathons, and even spent a year as a Baltimore Colts cheerleader. Joya loves spending time with her high school sweetheart/husband of over twenty years, two very supportive children, and a pug who follows her everywhere. www.joyafields.com

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Stephanie Burkhart

2011-12-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

Ah, the holidays. There's always something on the list. Time to refresh the Christmas Carols. Lights to put up. Decorations to hang. Christmas Cards to write. And the food. Let's not forget the Christmas munchies. I thought I'd share my Minty Meltaways recipe with you that I got from Weight Watchers. They're calorie friendly and full of minty goodness.

MINTY MELTAWAYS

COOKIES

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

GLAZE1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 tbsp fat free milk
red food coloring

1. To make cookies place oven racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350.

2. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt in a bowl. With an electric mixer on med speed, beat butter until creaming, about 1 min. Add confectioners sugar and peppermint extract, beat 4 mins. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mix, beating just until blended.

3. Form dough by tablespoonsfuls into 1 inch balls. Place balls on 2 large ungreased baking sheets 1 inch apart.

Bake until tops are firm 8-10 mins. Let cookies cool on baking sheets 3 mins., then transfer to racks and let cool completely.

4. To make the glaze, whisk confectioners sugar, 1 tbsp milk, and food coloring until smooth. Drizzle glaze evenly over cookies. Let stand until glaze sets about 30 mins. Cover and store at room temp up to 1 week.

About the Author: Stephanie Burkhart was born and raised in Manchester, New Hampshire. Wanting a great adventure, she joined the US Army as an MP and spent over 7 years in Germany. She left the Army in 1997 and works for LAPD as a 911 Dispatcher. Her favorite football team is the New England Patriots. She's married with two young sons and writes the following: paranormal, steampunk, fantasy, and contemporary romance as well as children's stories.

GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment here and tell me what your favorite Christmas Movie is. I'll come back and pick one winner random to receive a PDF ARC of my novella, "The Faberge Secret."

Elise Goodwin finds herself faced with danger when she learns the Faberge egg she's bought belongs to a Russian mogul, Dimitri Romanov, but is Dimitri playing a game with Elise's heart to get his heirloom back?

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf5ujOoDRXs

FIND ME ON THE WEB:

WEBSITE:http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

TWITTER:http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Burkhart-Author/149938795021166

GOOD READS:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Donna Hatch

2011-12-21T04:00:00.000-05:00

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is as ancient as it is fun. No one seems to know the true origin of kissing under the mistletoe, but most sources seem to trace it back to old Scandinavia. It probably stems from pagan rituals. Druids believed it possessed magical powers of healing—even against poison—and fertility. Other herbologists claim mistletoe is both an aphrodisiac and an abortive plant, which might be why some of the earliest customs involved more than an innocent kiss.

In the Celtic language, mistletoe means literally, “all-healer.” Modern medicine cannot prove this, so it probably comes from superstition based on the phenomenon that even in the dead of winter, mistletoe stays green and healthy because it is feeding off the trees serving as its host. Druids performed a sacred sacrificial ritual underneath the mistletoe for the benefit of sick or infertile land and animals.

But getting back to the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe. Its earliest uses are linked to its symbolism of peace. Supposedly warring parties would lay down their weapons and declare a truce while in the presence of mistletoe. Quarrelling couples would kiss and make up underneath a sprig of mistletoe. This probably led later to the tradition to simply kissing anyone “caught” standing underneath the mistletoe, which probably led to some interesting situations. Until recently, the young man would pluck off one of the white berries after kissing a girl. When all the berries were plucked, the kissing, at least while under the mistletoe, also ceased. Reportedly, maids in a boarding house would wait under the mistletoe, get kissed, and then the men were expected to pay a shilling.

At one point, the kissing bunch became a Christmas decoration in England and early American homes. The kissing bunch was constructed of two hoops tied into a round frame, then decorated with ribbons, holly, apples, oranges and other bright fruits. In the center of the frame rested figures of the infant Christ, Mary, and Joseph. A sprig of mistletoe hung below this.

So the next time you need a good kissing, stand under a bunch of mistletoe in the vicinity of a person you’d like to kiss, (bring your own mistletoe if necessary) and expect a kiss. Throat-clearing may help. But remember, no berry plucking necessary!

Author of Historical Romance and Fantasy, award-winning author Donna Hatch is a sought-after speaker and workshop presenter. Her writing awards include the Golden Rose and the prestigious Golden Quill. Her passion for writing began at age 8 when she wrote her first short story, and she wrote her first full-length novel during her sophomore year in high school, a fantasy which was later published. In between caring for six children, (7 counting her husband), her day job, her work as a freelance editor and copywriter, and her many volunteer positions, she still makes time to write.

After all, writing IS an obsession.

All of her heroes are patterned after her husband of over 20 years, who continues to prove that there really is a happily ever after.

DonnaHatch.com

One lucky commenter on this post will win his/her choice of a print or download copy of Donna's Regency Romance, The Stranger She Married. Print copy only available in US or Canada, please.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Nikki Duncan

2011-12-20T18:00:00.006-05:00

Holiday Traditions

Every year, without fail, my kids come home with a project revolving around traditions. I have one sitting on my desk as I type this. Every year I write the same traditions and think about how we don’t have anything really cool to list.

Unlike Thanksgiving where the fun of watching the parade has come with hubby and me from childhood, we haven’t really passed anything on to the kids. Sure, I make the kids help clean the house before we decorate, but even that isn’t approached in any one way each year.

See, we do things like Christmas Eve at my mom’s and Christmas Day with hubby’s family. At Mom’s we generally have lasagne, but not always. On Christmas Day, the food varies every year and so do the people who come over – aside from hubby’s mom and step-dad.

For a while we stuck to the rule that if said step-dad didn’t wear his bah-humbug hat then he didn’t get presents, but the scrooge has gotten out of even that the last couple years.

One tradition we’ve, I’ve, taken to is that every year when I put the Christmas decorations away I leave one thing out. It’s always different and it’s always in a different spot than the year before, but it’s a little reminder of the spirit all year.

I do think this lack of any set traditions helped me identify with my heroine in TANGLED IN TULLE. She didn’t have any traditions to celebrate, and in fact got so wrapped up in the new chapter of her life that she forgot it was nearing Christmas until she began to see the evidence around her – things like fully lit trees. Lol

Who knows, maybe one day my heroine and I will both find a new tradition for the holidays that will get passed on to our kids. How about you? What traditions do you have or wish you could get to catch on? What have you or do you hope to pass on?

Chat away and you will be entered into a drawing for a digital backlist title from Nikki.

About the Author: In between mommy duties, a demanding day job and volunteer positions she seems to be collecting again, Nikki Duncan writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance for Samhain Publishing. TANGLED IN TULLE will release on December 20th from Samhain Publishing. It’s available for pre-order from Samhain Publishing here and Amazon Kindle here.

Be sure to visit Nikki’s website www.nikkiduncan.com to find out what contests and prizes she’s offering this month. Also, check out her titles The Back-Up Fiance and Wicked …in Whispering Cove, both of which are on sale for $.99 (normally $2.99) until Dec 28th.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Toni Noel

2011-12-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas Joy

My parents were hard hit by the Great Depression and often struggled to make the Christmas Holidays a happy time for us.

One year my grandmother gave Daddy a subscription to the Saturday Evening Post; she kept renewing the subscription until the publisher couldn't keep up with changing times and stopped publishing it. Daddy had always read everything he could get his hands on, and now he had something of his own. We were not allowed to touch the newest issue until Daddy said we could.

We all loved that magazine, and would gather around each time the mailman brought a new issue to see what Norman Rockwell had put on the cover that week. Next morning Daddy would stick the newest magazine in his hip pocket, hurry out to the outhouse, and stay for a really long time. I didn't much like to spend any more time than necessary out there, but apparently he did. I think it was because it was the only place he could go and not be surrounded by females.

The Christmas morning of 1937 is the first holiday to stay in my memory. I woke to the soft strains of a lullaby coming from beneath our tree and to the cheers of my siblings, delighted that I'd finally opened my eyes so they could get up.

Momma said, "Wake up, Sugar. Santa Claus came," and I hurried into the living room. Beneath the sagging branches of the tree we'd cut and dragged down off the hill I discovered the source of the music, a baby doll nestled in a carrying case. The noise and excitement of those around me opening their gifts failed to draw my attention from that perfect doll.

When I picked her up, her brown eyes opened and I snuggled her soft body close. And when I lay her back in bed, she slowly closed her eyes, a smile on her face as she enjoyed the tinkling strains from the music box.

To this day I have a fascination with music boxes, and still have that one. I can't recall what anyone else received that Christmas, or even if I received other gifts. That doll earned my full attention from the moment I first laid eyes on her. I fell hopelessly in love with her and named her Priscilla.

She was just the right size to fit in a towheaded four-year-old child's arms. Rocking her, I would not have to hold her long before the music lulled her to sleep in my arms. Then I'd put her down in her own little bed.

The latch on the lid was to secure her for traveling, but I didn't like locking the lid down right in her face and never latched it with Priscilla inside.

Of all the dolls I ever owned, she was my favorite. She had a cry box hidden in her soft rounded chest but a good mother didn't let their babies cry. She wore panties instead of diapers but came with a bottle I soon wore out feeding her. In my eyes she was like a real, live doll, precious to me, my very own child.

Momma told me she'd seen the doll in the window of Pizitz's downtown store and told Santa she knew a little girl who needed that doll. She'd even thought to ask him to turn the music box on as he was leaving because her baby liked to sleep late on Christmas and keep her siblings waiting.

As I grew older I realized our family was not a lot better off that year than we'd been the year of my birth. Daddy's construction job had shut down for the winter and he'd been laid off again, but somehow Momma managed that wonderful gift for me.

I am still awed by my good fortune, the depths of my parents’ love. I don't know what became of that doll. Most likely, I wore her out. When the suitcase wore out Daddy removed the music box for me to keep.

In the toe of my stocking that year, I found an orange and some raisins clinging to a dried up stem. Fresh oranges were a rarity at our house and I rationed mine, eating just one section a day and letting the juice slowly run down my throat. My miserly effort to make my orange last didn't pay off, however. There were too many sections and six of them grew green mold. Momma insisted I throw what was left away and I cried my heart out as I did so.

*****

No hitting below the belt in Toni Noel's romantic suspense chock full of intrigue. She hits the unsuspecting reader right in the heart in Law Breakers and Love Makers with a hero to fall for at the same time he is falling back in love with the heroine. Her second novel, Temp to Permanent released by Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc., is working nine-to-five office romance. Decisive Moments, her latest release, pits a gutsy photographer and the owner of the boarded-up house she desperately needs to photograph. He is equally determined that no one enters his childhood home, the scene of terrible tragedy when he was four.

Before writing fiction, Toni worked in the communities where she lived, twice establishing church libraries, giving puppet shows for children in Head Start, and later working with city officials to secure a library for her growing community.

If you enjoyed reading Toni Noel' childhood memories you might also enjoy reading her novels. Here's a buy link:

http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com

Toni Noel will be giving away a download of the winner's choice of one of Toni's novels from Desert Breeze.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Susan Frances

2011-12-20T14:00:00.007-05:00

Christmas Traditions for the Home

One of the most time honored Christmas traditions is immortalized in the 1846 film It’s A Wonderful Life when Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed look up in tandem and see that they are standing under a bough of mistletoe. They do what the tradition dictates and they kiss rather passionately.

The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe has origins in Norse folklore, in which one myth fodders the tale about the Norse goddess Frigga who is said to have put a spell on all plants so none of them would harm her son Baldur, but she overlooked one winter evergreen, the mistletoe. In the tale, the Norse god Loki makes a spear out of mistletoe and uses it to kill Baldur. Frigga resurrects her son and enchants the mistletoe to spawn love rather than death into the world, and the world has complied ever since.

The Christmas tradition of kissing under the mistletoe can be traced back to the writings of American author Washington Irving who penned The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. In his 1820 scroll entitled The Sketch Books of Geoffrey Crayon, he tells, “The mistletoe is still hung in farmhouses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it.”

The time honored tradition has been immortalized in songs as well, most recently in Justin Bieber’s single Under the Mistletoe. Others date much earlier such as Tommie Connor’s 1952 singalong “I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus / underneath the mistletoe last night.” Another popular song is Meet Me under the Mistletoe by Joe Collins, Mark Abramson, and Betty Jackson with a chorus that chants, “Meet me under the mistletoe / midnight Christmas Eve / your sweet kiss is the first gift / I’d like to receive.”

Besides movies and music, the Christmas tradition has been celebrated in romance novels most notably Gayle Eden’s book, Under the Mistletoe. In the novel, Everyn Hurst, the Marquis of Coaldrake, attends a Christmas party hosted by the Bloomfield family. At the party, he sees the lovely maiden Mary Bloomfield standing alone under a stream of mistletoe and steals a kiss from her pointing up to the berry-encrusted shrubbery to validate his roguish behavior.

Though the mistletoe is perceived as a plant bestowed with enchanting properties, it only sprouts around Christmas making it one of the Christmas evergreens, which also include holly and laurel. It shares this specialness with another evergreen, the fir tree whose season peaks around Christmas time making it the prime choice for a Christmas tree, another time honored tradition celebrated in homes at Christmas time.

The role of the Christmas tree is a focal point in the 1952 book, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Theodor Seuss Geisel. When the Grinch stole the town’s Christmas tree, it makes the reader gasp. The story sheds light on the Christmas tree having grown into a symbol of family love and communal happiness.

The tradition of mounting a Christmas tree in homes and town centers, decorated with candles for light and confectioners for ornaments, originated in Germanic and Nordic cultures around the 16th century. The custom spread to Russia by way of foot soldiers that fought during the Imperial Wars of the 1800’s across Asia Minor. Danish writer Hans Christian Anderson epitomized the tradition of making a Christmas tree in his 1844 fairytale The Fir Tale. The tradition came to America by means of German and Dutch immigrants who settled in America through the 17th and 18th centuries.

Along with books that celebrate the Christmas tree tradition, songs have also joined in the festivities. The singalong tune “O Christmas Tree,” translated in 1824 by organist/lyricist Ernest Anschutz of the German folk song “O Tannenbaum” based on the German melody “Lauriger Horatius,” pays homage to the home’s centerpiece at Christmas time. An angel or star is often set on top of the tree depicting the Star of Bethlehem from the Nativity.

The Nativity is also believed to spawn another time honored tradition-- that of giving gifts on Christmas Eve. The Three Wise Men, also called the Magi, are said to have been guided by the North Star, also known as the Star of Bethlehem, which brought them to the manger where Jesus was born. They came bearing gifts, a tradition that people accepted into their homes. The author O Henry (aka William Sydney Porter) focused his story “Gift of the Magi” around this theme as an impoverished couple sells their most prized possessions to buy gifts for each other on Christmas.

The gift giving tradition of Christmas extends to leaving Christmas cookies and a glass of milk for Santa by the tree on Christmas Eve as a small token of the family’s appreciation. The American singer Teresa Brewer celebrated this tradition in the song “Christmas cookies and Holiday hearts” beaming “That’s the way the Holiday starts / Christmas cookies and Holiday heats / goody goody yum yum yum.” The tradition was revived 2010 by country music’s trio Redpath in their single “Santa’s Cookies” touting, “We’re going to the kitchen to get the 2% / I will have to hurry so I can get to bed / I’ll pour a glass of milk to go with Santa’s sweets / For Santa’s cookies on Christmas Eve.”

American confectioner Betty Crocker has also added to the fanfare with the brand’s Christmas commercial for their sugar cookie batter. In the scene a little boy chastises his father for eating all of Santa’s cookies and convinces his Dad that they absolutely have to make a fresh batch of cookies for Santa.

The time honored traditions of mistletoe, Christmas trees, Christmas gifts, and Christmas cookies are revered and immortalized in books, films and music. Along with these traditions, the Yuletide is also celebrated by the traditional burning of the Yule log. In Robert Chambers’ 1832 publication, The Book of Days, he cities, “Two popular observances belonging to Christmas are… the hanging of the mistletoe and the burning of the Yule log.” The mistletoe as a symbolize of love in homes and the Yule log representing protection for the family.

The Yule log is steeped in the Germanic heritage discerned as a magical and protective amulet. In English folklore, Father Christmas is often portrayed carrying a Yule log which is why in the 1951 British film, “A Christmas Carol,” the American version was renamed “Scrooge,” shows the Ghost of Christmas Present carrying a Yule log for this reason.

The Yule log was also the inspiration for the two to four hour television program “The Christmas Yule Log,” which was first broadcast on the New York-based station WPIX. Filmed in 1966 at Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the Mayor of New York City, it was made for residents in the city who lived in apartments and might not have a fireplace or hearth. The program is a film loop of a burning Yule log, which is meant to be accompanied by the family playing Christmas music in the home.

The Yule log is a part of the home setting in a number of Christmas movies including “Christmas Vacation” in 1989 and “Home Alone” in 1990. The Yule log imbues warmth and a sense of home in these films enhancing the Yuletide ambience and creating a domestic setting in the backdrop of the chaos that ensues in these films.

Traditions, such as the customs honored during Christmas time, can make a novel identifiable to the reader. They provide the reader with the opportunity to relate to the characters and form an attachment to the story. It is a trait which I was conscious of when writing my romance novel, The King Maker from Champagne Books.

My novel takes place around Halloween which allowed me to incorporate into the story the Halloween-themed, time honored traditions of pumpkin picking and watching scary movies. Sometimes tradition are not based on the Holidays at all, but rather on customs passed on through cultures and families such as when a man holds out a chair for his lady, or when a lady keeps a picture of her beau in a locket. Traditions make a home feel safe and families feel loved, and they make a book feel real.http://susanfrancesny.wordpress.comSusan will be giving away a copy of Kasey Michael's historical romance A Reckless Beauty. Please leave a comment to be entered in the drawing.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Pauline Baird Jones

2011-12-20T12:00:00.012-05:00

I love Christmas, but that doesn’t mean I’m good at it. I am writing this blog on Dec 11 and my tree isn’t up (and by the time this posts, it still might not be up!). And when I do put it up—probably the day before the kids start arriving—I’ll probably only put half the ornaments on, because I’ll know I’m the one who has to take them off again and it will “only be up for about a week anyway.”

I wrap presents like a—was going to say a five year old, but I think they are actually better at it than I am. When I shop for gift-wrapping stuff, I usually I end up with package of bows that doesn’t match any of the paper I bought. It’s a gift. Even my gift bags look more like bags than gifts.

My grandmother was a pro gift wrapper. (And un-wrapper, actually, but that’s another blog.) Paper, gift tags and contents were chosen with personal quirks in mind. They were as fun to look at, as they were to open.

My mom was great at Christmas. She started the day after Thanksgiving (when we’d all pile in the pickup and go look for our perfect tree—you could do that back in the “olden days.”) and didn’t wrap up our Christmas magic until New Year’s Day when the tree came down again. We “helped” make fudge, Christmas cake (her special version of fruitcake that we actually wanted to eat), and divinity. Oh, the divinity. If you don’t know what it is, you have missed out. Another family favorite is carrot pudding, a recipe that’s been in our family for a while.

Now that I’m old as dirt, (hey, I remember what it was like to cut a Christmas tree in the wilds of Wyoming) I finally understand that being “good” at Christmas can mean different things at different times in your life.

And I can see that the real gift, the true thing that my mom and my grandma excelled at was showing us love. Everything they did told us they loved us. No matter what holiday you celebrate—or don’t celebrate—you can show love to those around you. And it doesn’t have to come packages as “perfect.”

I hope, when my kids are old as dirt that they’ll know they were loved, even if the gifts will always look a little odd and the Christmas tree looks better in the dark.

When I wrote Out of Time, my World War II/time travel/action adventure romance, it wasn’t just a story where my heroine ends up in WWII. It was a time that my mom and my grandma lived through; a war in which my grandma sent two sons to fight and only one came home. I wanted that book to honor two remarkable women and their legacy of love, and to pay homage the Greatest Generation who fought to preserve our freedom. My grateful thanks to all of you!

May your holidays be filled with love and may 2012 be a most happy new year for everyone!

Perilously yours,
Pauline

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a $15 Amazon GC

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: A CLOCKWORK CHRISTMAS Authors

2011-12-20T10:00:00.005-05:00

So what is Steampunk?

Well, this is the season to be carolling, so what better way to answer than with "The Twelve Steampunk Days of Christmas"? The links are randomly selected, but they'll give you an idea of how creative and amazing steampunk artists are.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

12 steampunk roses

11 cakework treats

10 unreal comics

9 bands a'playing

8 films a'whirring

7 hidden derringers

6 lace-trimmed corsets

5 brass goggles

4 Cthulhu earrings

3 clockwork elephants

2 dirigibles

1 Clockwork Christmas

A Clockwork Christmas

We Wish You a Steampunk Christmas

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband’s love. A man learns that love isn’t always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas.

Anthology includes:

Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail
This Winter Heart by PG Forte
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz
Far From Broken by JK Coi

Stories also available for purchase separately.

Win!

For your chance to win a digital copy of "A Clockwork Christmas" please leave a comment.

You can meet the four authors from "A Clockwork Christmas" at their Facebook page, A Clockwork Christmas.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest:: Jennifer Ann Coffeen

2011-12-20T08:00:00.011-05:00

Christmas Cookie Recipe

This year I thought about making some authentic Regency era desserts for our family holiday party, but somehow Mincemeat Pie and spiced mulled wine didn’t quite get the kids jumping up and down (or my husband). Instead I went with our own traditional Christmas cookies. They are the perfect family cookie because everyone from Grandma to the toddler cousins can help! The key to these delicious cut out cookies is to make the actual cookie less sweet and more flour based. This way, when you frost the cookie you aren’t overpowered by sugar. We love to decorate these yummy treats with colored frosting, sprinkles, and red hots. You can easily find holiday cookie cutters in great shapes like Santa, trees, ornaments, angels, and more. No time to make the frosting? Just use the store bought brand, add in a little food coloring and no one will be the wiser. Have fun and Happy Holidays!

Cut out Christmas Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange rind (you can also use lemon)

Directions:

1. Start out be preheating your oven to 350 degrees so it gets nice and warm for the cookies.

2. Next grab a large bowl and mix together flour, cream of tartar, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Mix in the flour mixture stirring well. Add in the orange rind for that lovely flavor.

3. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with Christmas cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for at least a half an hour before frosting.

About the Author: Dissatisfied with Nancy Drew and Ned Nickerson's all too proper courtship, a pre-teen Jennifer gave into temptation, launching her one girl secret investigation into the bright pink and gold colored novels lying scandalously upon the top of her mother’s bookshelf. Needless to say a romance obsession was born. Eventually realizing one must gain life experience and education outside of the 19th century, Jennifer moved to Chicago to pursue theatre and writing. In the past decade she has worked with various theatre companies including Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2003 she co-wrote the amazing, mind-boggling sideshow act "Numbskull, the Human Blockhead" alongside eventual husband, Fraser Coffeen. She then joined forces with the Muffin Basket Cases, a group of seven women solo performers who wrote and performed a new show each week, did a run with Beastwomen Female Cabaret, and is an original member of the kates, who perform the last Saturday of every month at the fabulous Book Cellar. For more information on Jennifer's life, shows, and ( of course!) upcoming novels, check out her website www.JenniferAnnCoffeen.com

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a download of Lover's Gamble.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Jenny Twist

2011-12-19T18:00:00.026-05:00

Christmas in SpainI moved to Spain ten years ago. I don't know quite what I expected. Sunshine, of course, mountains, sea, beautiful views and wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables. I had learnt Spanish in England before I came out here and thought I was pretty fluent until I realised I couldn't understand a word any of my new neighbours said. This was because they speak with a regional accent which is impenetrable to most other Spanish speakers, never mind poor foreigners like me. And then there is the culture...

Here in the mountain villages little has changed since medieval times. Oh yes, we have televisions and cars and mobile phones, but they have been sort of added on to the existing way of life, a thin veneer, disguising the old ways. It is not unusual to see a young peasant farmer talking into his phone as he rides his donkey, laden with vine cuttings, along the winding tracks.

Spain is a Catholic country. We are not talking about modern, erudite Catholicism here. This is the Catholicism of the Middle Ages, closely linked to the agricultural cycle. Colourful, exuberant, full of life.

Christmas here, until very recently, had nothing to do with Santa Claus. Here it is the three kings who bring the presents, and they don't bring them on Christmas Eve, they bring them on 5th January, the eve of epiphany, traditionally the day when the three kings brought the gifts to the baby Jesus.

Our Christmas season begins with a wonderful nativity play in the village of Almayate.

Every year the entire village takes part in this event which is held in the school sports field. An entire scene of ancient Israel is re-created, with live cattle, sheep, goats, hens, etc.

The evening performance is particularly spectacular as the scene is lit with bonfires and one by one little cameo scenes are lit up with spotlights to reveal the angel announcing the coming birth to Mary, or Herod interviewing the three kings.

The story goes that there is tremendous competition in the village to produce a baby at the right time to play the infant Jesus.

Christmas day itself is not particularly exciting. There are, of course, no presents yet. And the family generally goes out for lunch in one of the numerous county inns which seem to exist solely for the purpose of providing enormous Sunday and holiday meals. We are talking about the whole family here, mother, father, children, grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins. Traditionally, there is a lot of fish in the Christmas lunch menu. Not a turkey, Christmas pudding or mince pie in sight.

New Year is far more important. The whole village gathers in the village square in front of the church and everyone is given a glass of sparkling wine and a party bag with a hat, streamers, squeakers, sweets (candy) and, most importantly, twelve grapes. As the church bells chime midnight, you have to eat a grape for each chime. It is surprisingly difficult to manage this. You end up with a mouthful of unchewed grapes and often still la couple left in the bag. It's supposed to be lucky for the year ahead if you can eat them all in time. Last year was the first time I managed it and in March my first book was accepted for publication. So there you are. I'm getting into practice right now to get it right again this year. It would be really nice to sell some books. Sorry, I digress.

The climax for the children is Los Reyes – The Kings. In the early evening of 5th January, the three kings come riding into the village on their donkeys, each accompanied by a servant. Sometimes Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus and an assortment of angels come too. It rather depends how many people are available. The procession winds its way up and down all the village streets and as it goes the kings throw sweets into the crowd. Eventually it arrives at the village square and the kings dismount and sit on the steps ready to give out presents to the waiting children. Every child has a present with his or her name written on it and the kings' servants read out the names one by one.

Later in the night when everybody is in bed, the kings visit every house and leave even more presents. In the olden days each child would leave a shoe outside the bedroom door and the kings would put the present in the shoe. Now, I suspect nobody would have shoes large enough to contain the dozens of gifts each child receives.

The children don't have much time to play with their presents before they have to go back to school, but at least they don't have long to wait for the next holiday – San Anton and the blessing of the animals. But that is a story for another day.

About the Author: Jenny Twist was born in York and brought up in the West Yorkshire mill town of Heckmondwike, the eldest grandchild of a huge extended family.

She left school at fifteen and went to work in an asbestos factory. After working in various jobs, including bacon-packer and escapologist’s assistant, she returned to full-time education and did a BA in history at Manchester and post-graduate studies at Oxford.

She stayed in Oxford working as a recruitment consultant for many years and it was there that she met and married her husband, Vic.

In 2001 they retired and moved to Southern Spain where they live with their rather eccentric dog and cat.

Her first book, Take One At Bedtime, was published in April 2011 and the second, Domingo’s Angel, was published in July 2011. Her novella, "Doppelganger", was published in the anthology Curious Hearts in July 2011, "Uncle Vernon" was published in Spellbound in September 2011, "Jamey and the Alien" and "Uncle Albert's Christmas" was published in Warm Christmas Wishes in November 2011 and "Mantequero" will be published in December 2011 in the anthology Winter Wonders.

Visit Jenny at her website.

Leave a comment to be entered into a drawing for a pdf or Kindle copy of the winner's choice from Jenny's books: Curious Hearts, Domingo's Angel, Spellbound 2011, Take One At Bedtime and Warm Christmas Wishes.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Dani Stone

2011-12-19T14:00:00.009-05:00

The Christmas Cheese
by Dani Stone, contributing author, SLEIGH RIDE: A Winter Anthology

Christmas is a holiday steeped in tradition. From hanging mistletoe, stringing popcorn, and pouring the first glass of eggnog, every family has something that triggers the start of the season. For me, it was always the Christmas Cheese.

I’m the oldest of five children and in our house, setting up the Christmas tree wasn’t a chore, it was an event! The Christmas Tree Decorating Party included snacky food like cookies, summer sausage, Ritz crackers, cheese cubes and homemade fudge. The sugar high was especially helpful in keeping my father’s mood festive while he wrangled and cursed at the tangle of Christmas tree lights. “Another bulb burned out. Quick, somebody get Daddy a peanut butter cookie, STAT.”

When it was time for the kids to take over, Dad would take his place as the Decorating Party DJ, literally spinning Andy Williams, Elvis, and Nat King Cole records, filling the room with music. We would sing, dance, munch our treats and take turns hanging multi-colored bulbs and crafty school projects. It was a sad year when my construction-paper Rudolph had to be thrown away because it was practically disintegrating. You made it 10 years, buddy, it was a good run.

The first year my brother placed an ornament hook through a cube of cheese and inconspicuously hung it on the tree, he did it to see if anyone would notice. With all the blinking lights and assorted accoutrement, we didn’t. When he finally pointed it out on Christmas Day, we howled with laughter and a tradition was born.

Each year thereafter, once we’d flung icicles like crazed elves, coating each branch, most of the floor and each other in silver strands, my brother would ceremoniously hang the Christmas Cheese.

My brother now has a son of his own and I’ve got the perfect gift in mind. . . cheddar.

Happy Holidays!

Stuff Your Stocking Prize: A beautiful journal to write all your favorite memories in!

Dani Stone is a freelance writer, wife and mother of two residing in Wichita, KS. Her website is www.ihearlaughtracks.com. She's one of seven author featured in Sleigh Ride: A Winter Anthology, available in trade paperback and ebook. www.buzzbooksusa.com. Sleigh Ride is edited by author Malena Lott. A portion of the proceeds of the book will benefit the domestic violence prevention cause through the Alpha Chi Omega foundation.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Resa Nelson

2011-12-19T12:00:00.028-05:00

My New Approach to the Holidays by Resa NelsonI usually slog through the holidays, feeling as if I’m dragging myself through a swamp from Thanksgiving until the end of the year. There are a lot of reasons I feel this way. The commercialization of the season makes my spirits sink. (To anyone who can ignore this or who embraces it as part of our culture, I salute you. I don’t have that ability.) And I’ve always suspected I have some form of SAD (seasonal affective disorder), except I call it MAD. I’m mad my beloved summer weather is gone. I’m mad the sun sets by 4:00 pm instead of blissfully lingering until 8:30 or so. I’m mad when it snows so much that the sidewalks where I do my daily walks don’t get cleared, which means I might not see them again until April.

But this year I’ve discovered a new secret weapon for getting through this challenging time of year. It helps to have a full spectrum light in my living room. And as long as the sidewalks are clear, I walk 2 miles a day, which also helps. (And in all honesty, it REALLY helps to have a new novel coming out during the holidays, which is happening to me for the first time – it’s so wonderfully distracting! And the weather this year has been gloriously mild!) But here’s my new coping technique: I’m watching movies that I loved in my childhood, especially ones that influenced me.

I’ve been a movie fanatic all of my life. When I was a little girl, going to the movies ranged from being a fun thing to do on a Saturday afternoon to a major treat. I grew up during the days of grand musicals like The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, and West Side Story.

This was back when palace-like theaters contained one enormous screen and balconies. Musicals had intermissions so you could stretch your legs and go buy more popcorn. Theater lobbies would get dressed up so it felt more like going to a stage play than a movie. It was heavenly. So this holiday season I’m reliving those days by stacking up DVDs of favorite movies from my childhood and watching them when I feel the need. Some are dated and politically incorrect by today’s standards, but the lessons I learned from them still feel fresh.

When I first saw Sweet Charity as a little girl, I learned that if you can’t find a husband, it’s still possible to love and be loved – you just love the people in your life and let them love you back.

Cat Ballou taught me to laugh, even in the worst of situations, and to be brave and resourceful and to never give up, even when things look bleak.

What’s Up, Doc? showed me it’s OK to not be serious all the time – it’s OK to be silly and outrageous and ridiculous.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang reminded me to think beyond the reality I live in and embrace fantasy worlds. (Although I do hope to live long enough to own a flying car!)

Thoroughly Modern Millie gave me a great role model: an independent 1920s girl, who goes to the city, raises her skirts, bobs her hair, gets a job, and has amazing adventures.

But Natalie Wood in The Great Race gave me the best role model of all: an outspoken woman in the era of suffragettes who does whatever is necessary to live the life she wants to live. When men participate in a fabulous road race around the globe, she’s determined to join the race as a journalist and succeeds, despite a slew of obstacles. Calm and determined, she keeps saying, “I’ll find a way.” This has been my lifelong mantra. Imagine my surprise when I realized I’d absorbed it from this movie.

So when I feel overwhelmed by the craziness or pressure or stress of the season, I gather my lifelong movie friends around me and watch one or more to remind myself of who I really am and how these movies helped me get here. That’s my idea of holiday cheer!

Resa Nelson is the author of the Dragonslayer series. Book 1 (The Dragonslayer’s Sword) was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a finalist for the EPPIE Award. Book 2 (The Iron Maiden) was published earlier this month. Book 3 will be published in 2012, and she is currently writing Book 4, the last book in the series.

Nelson’s standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave it a 5-star review, describing it as “a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended.” Ebooks and paperbacks are available from http://www.mundania.com/, and paperbacks are also available on Amazon and bn.com.

Visit her website at http://www.resanelson.com/.

Resa is offering two giveaways!

1. Free “mini” ebook for everyone! Resa’s Dragonslayer series was inspired by her two Dragonslayer short stories that were published in Science Fiction Age magazine. (Each story was nominated for the Nebula Award.) You can download a free “mini” ebook (PDF file) that contains these two stories – there is no cost or obligation to you, and no information about you will be collected. Resa simply wants to give you a way to sample her work so you can decide if you like it or not. To download this free ebook, go to http://www.resanelson.com/files and click on Dragonslayer Stories. Like her novels, this ebook is intended for adults but is appropriate for ages 14 and up.

. One person (United States resident only) will win a signed paperback of Book 1 (The Dragonslayer’s Sword) in the Dragonslayer series.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Allie Boniface

2011-12-19T10:00:00.002-05:00

Keeping Warm in Winter

Brrr! ‘Tis the season for holiday trimmings, hitting the sales, and maybe, depending on where you live, dealing with snow and frigid temperatures. If you’re a ski bunny who loves the slopes, then this is your time of year. But if you’re like me, you might find yourself longing for the warm and sultry days of summer as these dark, cold nights set in. So what’s a girl to do? Well, here are some of my own tips for keeping warm in winter:

1. Don’t underestimate the power of a warm blanket and a toasty fire – preferably together. I have a favorite blue plaid wool blanket that I only pull out on the coldest of nights. It’s super-heavy and super-warm. When I pull that over my side of the bed and snuggle underneath it, all the chills vanish. Even better: some evenings I drag it out to the loveseat in front of our woodstove and tuck myself under it to watch the flames and dream of warmer days. Works like a charm!

2. Sometimes the blanket and the fire won’t do the trick, though. What I need is a walk down memory lane. So I close my eyes and picture the hottest August day: sun blazing down from a brilliant blue sky, heat soaking into my bones, open windows at night with a still-warm breeze blowing in. Ah. That reminds me that the snow piling up outside my window is only temporary, and that hot days will indeed come again.

3. Combine memory lane with the right cocktail, and even a blizzard won’t bring down my spirits! White wine and cosmopolitans are fine in summer, but in the winter months some hot cider blended with rum, a dark, spicy red wine, or even Bailey’s in my hot cocoa spreads a lovely warmth through my veins that more than makes up for the wind trying to howl its way in.

4. Even a cocktail serves its purpose MUCH better when it’s served up with friends, though. This means that with or without alcohol, time spent with friends is another tried-and-true way to beat the winter blues. Laughter is good for the soul – it also warms it. Doesn’t really matter if you’re building a snowman, toasting your toes by the fire while you watch snowboarders on the slopes, sitting around a poker table, or watching sitcom reruns. If you’re doing it with friends by your side, you’ll find yourself ignoring the chill and warming from the inside out.

5. Friends – wonderful. Loved ones – priceless. Who better than your significant other to warm your frozen toes in bed at night or hold your hand while you watch your favorite TV reality show under your favorite blanket (see Tip #1)? And even better than a partner’s physical warmth is the amazing way that true love and affection can take your soul from cold to sizzling. Right?

6. Finally, why not treat yourself to a good book, maybe even one set in summer or a hot locale or featuring some seriously sexy main characters? You have a wonderful variety to choose from, starting right here at The Long and the Short of It. Happy reading – and keep those toes warm!

Allie Boniface is the author of five contemporary romance novels, including her most recent, Summer’s Song. She lives with her husband in the Hudson Valley, New York, and teaches high school English and Education courses when she isn’t penning her next work or making dreaming of summer days. More information can be found at www.allieboniface.com or on her blog, www.allieboniface.blogspot.com.

Allie will be giving away an autographed print copy or a download of Summer's Song (print available to US participants only, please) to one lucky commenter.

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: R.R. Smythe

2011-12-19T08:00:00.019-05:00

Poet’s words on Winter WallsThe title is in homage to the poet, Robert Frost, and his poem,Walking through woods on a Snowy Evening.

I’ve always been enamored with this poem, from the very first time I heard it. I live in the woods, and when winter falls, the glisten of ice-coated branches and heavy white blankets covering the evergreens is not only breathtaking, but surreal. One understands the true meaning of Winter Wonderland.

I understand completely the poet’s love of the forest. I’m remodeling my writing office. When I approached my friend, an interior designer and artist for ideas (yes, I’m fortunate), she encouraged me with my idea for a literary theme. She paints landscapes on walls; and I am completely in awe, as I am unable to fashion a mere stick-person.

On the study wall is…you guessed it. A forest. A Victorian gaslight, and embedded in the picture, a la Bev Doolittle, the last few lines of the Frost poem, The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep.

I’m on the lookout for a real gaslight, as well as an old typewriter.

Wishing you warmth this winter. Forget school closings, snow tires and slick roads. Think…sleigh rides, sled rides and Robert Frost.

To help you stomach the cold, I’m giving away warm slippers, a mug and cocoa to sip while reading The Bride of Blackbeard. That way you will be prepared to face sunken ships in the freezing waters of the Graveyard of the Atlantic, the real life rescues of the Chicamacomico Life saving station…and of course, pirates. Just leave a comment to be entered.

Website: http://www.rrsmythe.com/Book Video: http://bit.ly/ux2KIf

Robert Frost Poem in its entirety

Stuff Your Stocking Blogfest: Delia Latham

2011-12-19T04:00:00.002-05:00

Making Room at the Inn
© 2011 Delia Latham

With Christmas fast approaching, signs of the season are everywhere.

Beautifully decorated trees adorn every store window and mall walkway. Tinsel, ornaments, lots of red and green…all familiar, well-loved traditions that make the season festive. Christmas music is piped into every possible sales venue to put shoppers in the Christmas (i.e., buying) spirit.

The lyrics to one of those songs talks about the twelve days of Christmas.

I don't know a lot about partridges in pear trees. What lords a-leaping and swans a-swimming have to do with Christmas is beyond me. Somewhere in the annals of history, there could be a reason they made their way into this song…I don't know.

But I do know about a newborn baby in a manger, surrounded by animals and angels and a few very wise men. I know about an inn that could not find room for the Christ-child. I know about these things because they are what Christmas is all about.

I enjoy a gorgeous Christmas tree as much as the next person. I love all the pretty baubles hanging on the branches, and the smell of pine. Nothing gives me greater pleasure then placing my angel at the tip top of the tree when everything else is hung and strung and picture perfect. You just can't beat that bated-breath feeling during the countdown to the "plug-in" and seeing the tree light up for the first time…sparkling, twinkling, filling hearts with the joy of the season.

I love that! I do.

My heart is thrilled at the sight of children tearing into the gifts they've waited all month to see. I especially enjoy all the extra love that seems to just be there on Christmas day. It's as if everyone tries a little harder to be kind, loving, and forgiving—thinking a little more of others, and a little less of themselves.

Giving and receiving…but especially giving, is a beautiful part of the season. And what could be more welcoming than the fragrance of hot apple cider, cinnamon and bayberry, and pumpkin pie spices wafting through a home?

Those are all good things. Great things.

But I can't help but wonder.

Have we over-filled our holidays with gifts and decorations and cooking and scheduling a dozen and one Yuletide events, to the extent that—once again—there's no room for Christ? When our little ones dive under the tree on Christmas morning, headed straight for the biggest box they can find…is that all the day means to them? Have we taken time to tell them about that lowly inn in Bethlehem? When they sing "Away in a Manger," do they have even the slightest clue as to what a manger is, and why this one made its way into a song?

Or have we allowed our children to think Christmas is all about talking snowmen, elves and reindeer, and jolly men yelling ho-ho-ho?

If the Christmas morning of tomorrow is to have any meaning beyond the commercial holiday it has become, it's up to us to make it so.

Let's open the door to Christ on Christmas!

Bring that baby in out of the cold and allow His love to make Christmas CHRIST-filled. Unlock the doors of your "inn," and let Jesus spend Christmas at your house.

He is, after all, the Reason for the season…

Born and raised in Weedpatch, California, Delia Latham moved to Oklahoma in '08, making her a self-proclaimed California Okie. She loves to read and write in her country home, and gets a kick out of watching her husband play Farmer John. She's a Christian wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend, but especially loves being a princess daughter to the King of Kings. She loves Dr. Pepper and hearing from her readers. Contact her through her website or e-mail delia AT delialatham DOT net.

Delia writes inspirational romance and women's fiction, and is currently contracted through White Rose Publishing and Vinspire Publishing.

Please leave a comment for a chance to win the winner's choice of a download or autographed print copy of Destiny's Dream. Print to US or Canada winners only.