Holidays @ TRS

The Last Word from Jennie Shortridge

2009-12-24T07:23:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I appreciate the chance talk a bit about writing and reading. WHEN SHE FLEW is my latest book and I've been loving the response from readers. It's so nice to have feedback and to see how people respond to the characters and relationships. I think that's what makes women's fiction so popular—the personalities, how they relate to eachh other and work through challenges—just bring people back again annd again. I think it's also why people who enjoy romances usually read "across the board"—whatever the labels.& Mysteries, thrillers, cozies, fantasy —it doesn't maatter. Strong, interesting relationships seem to win the day every time. Certainly with me.

When I began writing about police officer Jessica Villareal in WHEN SHE FLEW I had an agenda --I wanted to show her weaknesses and her strengths, her regrets and her hopes. I needed Jess to move from point A to point B to point C and so on, to keep the plot moving and to create the opportunities to explore the ideas and emotions that were motivating the story in the first place. Yet time and again I found myself reflecting on various people in her life, going back and adding nuance to her relationships with them, fleshing out their personal stories just a bit more. In understanding more about Jess, her daughter, her ex, and her colleagues, I was able to better see how I might get her to the place where she could love more easily and allow herself to be loved without hurting the people around her.

The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest where Jess is called into action to help find a young girl in the thickly forested hills of Oregon. Searching alongside the K-9 officer assigned to the case ("Zoo"—because Zusmanovich is just too hard to say), Jess is attracted to Zoo but knows he's too young for her. As they are pulled deeper and deeper into the forest and the mystery of the girl, and as Jess makes decisions that jeopardize her career, she finds allies in Zoo and his search dog, Larry. There is something there that is more than just cop helping cop. They are people struggling to stay true to themselves as they cope with a world in which there are no more black and white decisions, just shades of gray, and where duty and responsibility can suddenly become two very different things.

I am proud to share that Marisa de los Santos (Love Walked In and Belong To Me) calls WHEN SHE FLEW a "beautifully rendered novel," and says it "has all the urgency of a thriller and offers a moving exploration of parental love and the lengths to which one person will go to take care of another." I hope that if you are able to add it to your reading list, you enjoy the story as much as I've enjoyed telling it.

And speaking of enjoying books…here's a few that are on my gift list this holiday seasson that you may enjoy giving or receiving. These are all by Northwest-based writers.

Another View of Paradise, by Randy Sue Coburn
The School of Essential Ingredients, by Erica Baumermeister
Sing Them Home, by Stephanie Kallos
Border Songs, by Jim Lynch
Oxygen, by Carol Cassella
Gone to the Dogs, by Mary Guterson
How Evan Broke His Head, by Garth Stein (the book he wrote before The Art of Racing in the Rain)
The Gospel According to Coco Chanel, by Karen Karbo

Jennie Shortrdige
http://www.jennieshortridge.com

Holiday Traditions

2009-12-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

Holiday Traditions
By
N. J. Walters

The Christmas season is upon us. It’s a time to enjoy family and friends, to gather for parties and to reflect on the year past and the coming one. One of the things that makes this time of year so special is traditions.

Traditions come in all different shapes and sizes. Maybe it’s smells that take you back to those special times in childhood when the holidays were magical and anything was possible. Those were simpler times. Times of innocence. When you weren’t bogged down with bills and to-do lists. When waking up on Christmas morning and finding a few small presents thrilled you.

Sensory experiences can easily transport you back to those times. For some, a whiff of fir tree can bring back pleasant memories of going out with the family to find the tree. An afternoon spent decorating it, squabbling over the lights and ornaments until it was perfect. Of course, our memories maybe a bit generous. I look back at pictures of Christmas trees from my childhood and have to laugh. They were small and bedraggled things, but at the time, they were pure magic and utterly beautiful.

Maybe it’s your taste buds that take you to a happy memory. Gingerbread may remind you of visiting your grandmother’s house. Or perhaps the taste of decadent chocolate fudge melting in your mouth may transport you back to your childhood and memories of helping your mother make it for Christmas.

If you’re more visual, perhaps the glow of the lights and the sight of your favorite ornaments put you in the mood for the holiday. Or it could be that the sound of familiar Christmas carols and popular holiday songs or the chime of church bells makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

I think for most of us it’s a mixture of all the sights, sounds, tastes, smells and textures that can instantly transport us into the Christmas spirit. Vanilla cream candies immediately remind me of my grandmother. The smell of popcorn mixed with fir tree is the perfume of the holidays for me.

Take time this season to relax and enjoy the holiday season. Indulge in the simple pleasure that stir the true holiday spirit. Share older traditions with your family or make new ones that your kids will remember when they’re adults with responsibilities and worries of their own. Enjoy spending time with your family and friends.

May you all have a joyous and happy holiday. Merry Christmas one and all.

And to quote the beloved Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, “God Bless us. Every one.”

And if you're looking for a little Christmas cheer, check out Jessamyn's Christmas Gift, my Ellora's Cave Quickie!

N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

http://www.njwalters.com
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/ (newsletter group)

Snow, books, snow & more books!

2009-12-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

I don’t know about you, but in my opinion snow and books just naturally go together. Kind of like strawberries dipped in smooth chocolate, making for a delicious, and yes, sexy treat, or, in the spirit of the season, a crackling fire on the hearth and a cup of steaming hot coco, or Santa Claus and reindeer. I mean, snowy weather just makes you want to cuddle up with a cozy blanket and a good book and forget about the freezing cold, world woes, and everyday responsibilities, doesn’t it?

And speaking of snow, the Midwestern part of the U.S., where I live, is in for another round starting late today and lasting until early Christmas morning. If this storm pans out like they predict, this will be our third major snow dumping of the season. And yesterday was just the official start of winter. Joy! We received our first snow on October 10, so this has the makings to be a long winter.

At least some of the 12” of snow from the December 8th storm has melted away due to the 30 plus degree temps we’ve enjoyed the last few days. Thank goodness. I’ll take a jump on the thermometer any day, but the kids’ version of Frosty the Snowman sure doesn’t care for the rise. He’s looking more like a shriveling white prune than the holly jolly snowman he started out as.

I do like snow, until January 2nd, anyway! Then it can all melt and hit 70 plus degrees for the remainder of the year, or at least until it’s time to start getting into the Holiday mode once more! But that first snowfall of the season, and any snow up until Christmas, is beautiful, magical, and reminds me of the wonderful Christmases of my youth. It’s true, even with all that glistening exquisiteness, snow can also become a pain in the you-know-what. But let’s forget about the you-know-what part, and focus on the magic and the beauty, shall we? It’s Christmas after all. And it’s those special qualities about snow that prompted me to recently write two stories where my characters have a little, shall we say, interaction, in the snow!

My novella, Eight Seconds, has Taylor Westfall and Devlin McCord getting reacquainted, and discovering a few new things, too, in the snow. Let’s just say that this cowboy’s homecoming and Taylor’s request, makes these two forget all about the raging snowstorm blanketing the Nebraska sandhills. You can find Eight Seconds in the Ellora’s Cave Flavors of Ecstasy Anthology Vol. III.

The novella I just completed, The Cowboy and the Hellcat, finds me returning to my historical roots. I love historicals! Again, my characters, Adam and Ellie, discover the magic of Christmas snow. I won’t say much more about this book because I don’t have a contract on it yet, but keep your fingers crossed for me.

So, with all the snow this season, I have spent some time squirreling away with a good book. I’m just about done reading Beauty and the Badge by Julie Miller, another book that has two characters meeting for the first time in the snow and cold of the Christmas season. It’s terrific, too, btw! And I have a TBR pile that is deeper than I am tall!

How about you? Do you have plans to find some time this snowy season to steal away with a good book and a cozy blanket? If so, what books are on your agenda? Do you have a favorite beverage you like to sip while reading?

If you like sexy cowboys, I hope you’ll give Eight Seconds, or Cowboy Fling, both available at Ellora’s Cave, a try.

If romantic comedy is more your speed, then hop on over to Black Velvet Seductions. You can find the first two books in my Studs for Hire series there. Woman on Top and Woman in Charge will both give you a laugh, make you smile, and have you scrambling for the Yellow Pages to hunt down your own sexy carpenter. I had a blast writing these two books and I hope you’ll find them equally fun to read. You won’t find any snow in these stories, but you’ll find lots of good old fashioned sexual tension!

To celebrate the holiday season, I’m hosting a little contest today just for TRS visitors. Post a comment here and I’ll put your name in the hat for an autographed copy of Studs for Hire: Woman in Charge!

However you might celebrate this magical time of year, I hope you have a safe and happy season! Thanks for stopping by today.

Sherry James

Yes, Virginia…

2009-12-21T06:50:00.000-08:00

My sister's name is Virginia. It has been the bane of her existence for her entire life because no one ever gets it right when they first meet her (or so she says!)…she claims she's been called Victoria, Valerie, Veronica, Vivian, Violet, Vanna, Vera, and even Victor! In short, nearly every name beginning with V but Virginia!

Except at this time of the year.

During the holiday season EVERYBODY remembers my sister's name. She swears that if she's heard "yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" once, she's heard it a thousand times.

I happened to be with her when it occurred for the first time this year. She just looked at me and, with a roll of her eyes, said, "See?"

So I asked her if she knew why people quoted that particular sentence.

"Something about a little girl named Virginia writing a letter," she replied.

"But it's so much more than that," I protested. "It's about faith and hope and believing in magic and things unseen." And I proceeded to tell her the story of Miss Virginia O'Hanlon and her letter to the editor of The New York Sun in 1897 and Mr. Francis P. Church's reply.

"Hmmph, well, I guess that makes it a little easier to put up with. But your name isn't Virginia." Then she fixed me with a gimlet eye. "I can't believe how much useless information you have stuffed in your head."

Sigh.

My sister, the realist.

But she was right about the useless information, though in my humble opinion, it's far from useless…if I ever make it to Jeopardy! I'll make a killing! I always loved school, from elementary to university, and I still love to learn new things and research interesting facts. Last year, when I wrote Getting It Right, I did a ton a research about New Year's traditions around the world so, after that conversation with my sister, it only seemed natural to be curious about Christmas traditions, like trees and stockings and kissing under the mistletoe and gift-giving…a fitting accompaniment to all those useful facts about New Year's traditions!

So I sat down in front of my time warp machine, the computer, for ten minutes, and surfaced about four hours later… a little wiser, I hope. Because, you see, from Christmas I moved on to Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and Ramadan and Santa Lucia Day and Winter Solstice and on and on…

And do you know what I found out?

Each celebration is unique in its beliefs and observances of faith but all are celebrations of life…of love and hope and peace and thankfulness and forgiveness and happiness and goodness. Indeed, all of them are about becoming the best we can be, something most of us, hopefully, strive for everyday.

So, my friends, whatever your celebration, I wish all of those things for you, along with a dash of the original Virginia's delightful belief in things magical and unseen!

May you have your house cleaned and decorated and the cooking done before the company arrives and may the new year bring you love, laughter, good health and prosperity!

Jane Kent
janekent@live.ca
Getting It Right - Whispers Publishing, http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/getting_it_right.html
Perfect For Each Other - coming soon!

Contest!!! This is my first ever blog so I'm celebrating with a contest! Send me an email at janekent@live.ca with CONTEST in the subject line, telling me the names of the hero and heroine in Perfect For Each Other (their initials are S and R) and win a copy of it when it's published! I will put all the correct answers in a hat and have my sister (yes, my sister, Virginia) draw a winner on New Year's Day! I will send the winner a personal email and announce the winner's name on Whispers Publishing's Yahoo readers' group, Whisper Your Fantasies.

Okay, I confess this a bit of a trick question because you might have to do a little research on the time-sucking computer yourselves to find the answer. I wouldn't want it to be too easy! (Hint: try reading the excerpt at http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/getting_it_right.html Now, I'm not saying the answer is there but I'm not saying it's not either! Oh, and did I mention that PJ, the heroine of Getting It Right, has a brother named Rome?)

Getting It Right is a holiday short story so here is the recipe for the holiday cookies, PJ and her best friend are devouring in PJ's tearoom in Chapter One. Enjoy!

Chocolate Shortbread Ingredients

cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate (or chips)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, stir together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, flour and salt until well blended. Cut in the butter until lumps are no larger than peas. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until a stiff dough forms. It may take a minute to come together.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. If the dough is too sticky, chill for a little bit. Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the surface appears dry. Allow cookies to cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. When cookies are completely cool, melt the chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir frequently until smooth. Dip cookies or drizzle with the chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.

A Little Holiday Magic (even in the real world)

2009-12-20T01:35:00.000-08:00

When it comes to the holidays, I’m a really big five-year-old. I love the lights, the paper, the singing, the baking, the TV specials, and most of all the presents.

In theory.

In reality, things never seem to come out quite the way they do in the movies, do they? Somebody gets sick, someone hates what you bought them, and the big family dinner just leaves you with a kitchen full of dirty dishes.

Know what?

I still don’t care. If I can’t find a perfect holiday in real life, then I’ll watch “White Christmas” one more time, and make the most of what I do have. Even though the three cynical males I live with (husband and two teenage sons) would rather not bother with the tree, lights, and festive spirit, I do so anyway, and come up with ways to make it work for them. Yes, one of my Christmas albums contains songs like “Christmas Night of the Living Dead,” and “Don’t You Come Home for Christmas.” If they can laugh, they put up with my holiday eccentricities. It’s a compromise that works for us. And laughing with them reminds me that what I DO have is a couple of sons who are (I hope) on their way to one day being functional adults, and a husband who adores me enough to put up with my seasonal mania. In the grand scheme of things, that just isn’t a bad deal at all.

One way I do sneak in my Christmas sappiness fix is with books. I LOVE seasonal romances, both reading them and writing them. Happy ever after with a snowy twist is just the perfect thing to curl up with…until the dogs need out, the oven timer dings, and the Fed-Ex man shows up, at least.

So here’s a little peek at three of my published holiday stories. You can click on the covers to find out more. I hope one of them will make you smile. (The Ellora's Cave titles are all on sale through January 1, too!) You can also read excerpts on my website, so don't forget to visit me there!

Here’s wishing you and yours a season filled with love, laughter, and a little bit of magic.

~Cindy Spencer Pape

The Cowboy’s Christmas Bride

Love at the Crazy H, book #1

Available for download and in print from The Wild Rose Press

Running from a wedding gone wrong, Allison finds herself snowbound with a sexy rancher. CJ has been left at the altar once, so he’s leery of getting involved with a runaway bride, while Allison is afraid to love at all. Can the magic of the holidays, and CJ’s big crazy family, help them overcome the past, and make this the best Christmas ever?

Whispers of Magic

Available for download from Ellora’s Cave

And in print as part of the Mistletoe Magic anthology

Hoping to get back in Santa’s good graces, Sparkle the elf takes on a difficult assignment—arrange a merry Christmas for photo-journalist Jenna Woodward. Jenna has just lost her parents, her job, and her cheating “fiancé”. Rancher Mitch Sterling doesn’t want his face on a book, but he does want Jenna back in his life. He offers a deal—he’ll sign off, if she agrees to be at his mercy for one day. Jenna left him once because she was afraid of his Dominant lifestyle. Now, with help from a magical snowstorm, Mitch has twenty-four hours of tempestuous passion to convince her that she’ll love being his sub.

Yuletide Enchantment

Available now for download from Ellora’s Cave

The company Christmas party goes awry in an erotic way when quiet accountant Shelby Carter is magically whisked into a miniature Victorian village with the boss’s gorgeous son Noel Holiday. Noel has always honored the policy against fraternization, but when he’s trapped for several days with sweet, sexy Shelby, he knows it’s time to start breaking the rules.

While exploring the enchanted surroundings, they delve into their deepest fantasies, even acting out scenes from a collection of erotic Victorian postcards. After all, what’s Christmas without a little magic and a whole lot of sexy fun?

Though Shelby’s crazy about Noel, she’s sure he’ll forget all about her once their interlude is over. But Noel has fallen head over snow boots in love with Shelby. Now he just has to convince her that holiday wishes can come true, and his devotion will last beyond their Yuletide Enchantment.

Happy holidays from Colleen DuVall!

2009-12-19T08:22:00.000-08:00

Chances are, you are attending several holiday feasts and festivities this season with friends and family alike. I went with a "Spicy Hindu Hootenanny" theme for my Winter Solstice party last year and it was a big hit! I played lots of World music including, "Star Beat (Indian Style Heavy Funk Vol. 1)." We cranked up the heat as it was one of the coldest days that year and had a yummy and flavorful potluck where everyone brought an Indian style dish or snack to pass. You can pick up a variety of treats to go at your favorite local restaurant, or a lot of dishes are ready-made to heat and serve at your specialty supermarkets in the ethnic section.

Speaking of spicy, please check out http://www.whispershome.com under the Fantasy section. What happens when a dark and mysterious warlock and a sexually yearning Wiccan chance to meet? Download "A Witch's Kiss," to find out! There are usually fun tidbits at whisperyourfantasiesblogspot.com as well. You can enjoy reading excerpts of "Witch's Kiss" and many others during our 12 Days of Naughty and Nice on our reader's loop at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whisperyourfantasies

Hope to see you there and Happy Holidays,
- Colleen DuVall
http://www.myspace.com/whimseys_colleen

Top Ten Reasons I Love Christmas

2009-12-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

10. The Music. I love the classic Christmas Carols, "Silent Night" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful," etc.; the old favorites like "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" (especially when sung by Nat King Cole); and more contemporary works like Tom Petty's "Christmas All Over Again" and all of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's Chistmas albums.

I even like a few of the novelty songs:

Robert Earl Keen's "Merry Christmas from the Family" is a hoot!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P37xPiRz1sg

And because I am a Southerner, the "Redneck's Twelve Days of Christmas":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6Ht0KXpZ6c

On the other hand, if I never hear "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" again, that will be too soon.

9. The Decorations. I thrill to the light displays, even the really cheesy, tacky ones. They brighten up the night. When my children were small, I used to drive them around town, looking for the biggest and brightest ones.

8. The Shopping. Did I really say that? I hate shopping. Hate it with a burning, fiery passion. But I do like buying things for other people.

7. The Cookies. I'm a sucker for cookies. My favorites are chocolate chips, but almost anything cookie works for me.

6. Christmas Movies and TV Shows: "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (the animated TV show, NOT the movie), "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Miracle on 34th Street" (any version), and almost any rendition of "A Christmas Carol" although I have a particular fondness for "The Muppets' Christmas Carol."

5. The Christmas Tree. We always have a live one. One year I put up an artificial one, and the family hated it. My family doesn't hate quietly. Lesson learned. Truth is, I didn't really care for it myself.

4. The aromas. The smell of cookies baking (is there a theme here?), cinnamon, ginger, hot apple cider, the pine fragrance from the tree.

3. The Books and Novellas. I have a nice collection of Christmas-themed stories I pull out every year. "A Christmas Carol" heads the list, but there are a lot of romance and erotic romance stories on the list. I like writing them, too, which is why I have two Christmas-themed novellas available at Ellora's Cave now: "The Last Candle" which was part of the HOLIDAY HEAT print anthology and "Gargoyle's Christmas" on sale now as part of the Ellora's Cave's Twelve Days of Christmas promotion

It's not strictlya Christmas story, but I also have a novella that's near and dear to my heart titled "Lifeline" that debuted a few days ago from Whispers Publishing. This story is a hot, romantic fantasy that is also my thank you and Christmas card to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services.

Order:
Lifeline: http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/lifeline.html
The Last Candle: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-7816-97-the-last-candle.aspx
Gargoyle's Christmas: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-6626-97-gargoyles-christmas.aspx

2. Presents. Both giving and getting. I don't need big or expensive. The truth is I've been blessed with the ability to buy pretty much everything I need and some of the things I most want. What I love about presents is that, when done right, they are tangible proof to the recipient that someone cares for them enough to put thought and effort into giving them something meaningful.

And the number one reason I love Christmas:

1. Family and friends gather and visit. The best gift of all.

Katherine Kingston
Walpurgis Night, re-release, October 5
The Princess Brat, re-release, November 6
The Last Candle, re-release, December 4
http://www.katherinekingston.com

More Than Just Decoration

2009-12-17T12:30:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't love a holiday? All the food, the parties, the gifts… oh yeah, bring it on. But my favorite element of Christmas is the decoration. Not that I do so very much of it-I'm really too lazy-but I sure love looking at it! I still remember the very first Christmas decoration I ever bought myself.

It was the year I was thirteen. There was a craft fair at my school. The only money I had was supposed to be my lunch money for the week, but that didn't stop me. I went to the craft fair anyway.

The first thing I saw was a brilliant Christmas tree ornament. It was shaped like a pony, all sparkly with red beads, gold cord, and a flowing fringe tail. I loved it. I wanted it. I just had to have that pony.

So, I blew my whole week's worth of lunch money and brought that pony home with me. Then, of course, I proceeded to ask my mother for more lunch money. Not a good idea. The only thing I ended up getting from either of my parents was a lecture about budgets and impulse spending.

I would either have to take the pony back to the craft fair and try to get a refund, or I would have to do the unthinkable: pack my lunch all week. It was a horrible dilemma, yet my passion for that pony was strong. To the ridicule of my friends, I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that week rather than give up my precious ornament. I had learned the very adult lesson that there are times when you just have to make sacrifices for something you love. And I did love that pony.

So I hung that little beaded pony on our Christmas tree with a new perspective. To this day when I see it I still see something of value, something that was worth giving up the pizza buffet for a week. But now there's a little more to it. This ornament reminds me that when I look at the people around me, each of them is a sparkly red pony, too. Maybe I can put myself out just a little bit for them this year.

What about you? What holiday decorations hold a special place in your heart each year? I'd love to hear about them! In honor of the holiday festivities I'll be giving out a copy of my debut release, MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, a fun, lighthearted Regency.

Susan Gee Heino
MISTRESS BY MISTAKE, December 2009, Berkley Sensation
DAMSEL IN DISGUISE, Summer 2010, Berkley Sensation
www.SusanGH.com

Sweet Tooth for the Holidays by Beth Caudill

2009-12-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

The holidays mean I quit reading for a month or so and indulge in another hobby. I bake. The males in my house don't eat sweets. So I don't make a lot of treats throughout the year because I'd end up eating it all. While I wouldn't mind eating more sweets…I do mind not fitting in my jeans. ;)

For December parties, I make cheesecakes, cookies, triffles, snacks, and appetizers. I bring home a few leftovers and get to indulge my sweet tooth. And by the start of the year, I'm more than ready to escape into a good book again.

In this excerpt from my paranormal romance novella Healer's Fate, Corliss uses the energy she's acquired from her fight with a sorcerer to heal two children she met earlier in the book:
She sat on a chair between the two girls' beds. Starting with Catherine, Corliss used the life force of the weakest healer to create a ghost-heart to continue circulating blood while she used more energy to
remove the diseased cells of the real organ.

An easy process, with the excess power she'd absorbed, and good practice for the more difficult
procedure to come.

As she awoke from the first trance, the world around appeared lighter, with a touch of dove gray
to everything. She gripped the jasper disc and removed it from around her neck.

This next operation required more delicate work. She placed the disc on Alison's arm before covering it with her hand. This should help balance the energies she poured into the tiny girl.

Corliss used the second healer's energy to implement a ghost system while she poured the sorcerer's stolen energy into repairing the little girl's body. It wouldn't be perfect, but Alison would have a chance to live a normal life.

Her vision wavered as the last of the sorcerer's energy left her. Her own energy poured into the girl, completing the healing process and freeing the second wolf-healer' s spirit as she collapsed the ghost system.

Drained and a bit light-headed, she dropped into a nearby chair. The jasper disc cold in her hand, she couldn't bring herself to place it around her neck again. She would need to cleanse it after this.
Possibly three times, to ensure the negative energy from the sorcerer didn't hang around.

"Thank you for your help," Jules said, her hand extended.

Corliss shook the hand as she stood up. "They'll be tired and will need to sleep for a few days. To allow their systems to adjust." She smiled. "They'll have the same unknown future as everyone
else."

Jules smiled. "No guarantees."

"Exactly."

Grabbing a notepad and pen, she wrote out two recipes. "See to it they eat the oat cakes with black currants at every meal. It'll help build up their strength. The willow and coneflower tea should be
drunk four times a day as an anti-inflammatory and heighten the immune system."

"Thank you so much," the relieved mother said, taking the instructions.

Here's a recipe for soft and chewy oatmeal cookies. They won't cure you of anything but hunger.
Corliss's Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients

Wet Dry
1 cup Brown Sugar 1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
¼ cup Honey 1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
4 oz Applesauce 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 mashed banana ½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract 2 ¼ cups Oats
3 tablespoons water ¼ to ½ cup chopped cherries (optional)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mix together brown sugar, honey, applesauce, and water. Add the mashed banana and vanilla. Set aside. Shift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Incorporate this mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir in oats and cherries. If mixture is too thin, let stand a few minutes for the oats to absorb the excess liquid. Drop by large tablespoons onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in 350 degree oven. Pull from oven and let stand a minute or two (no longer or they may stick to pan.) Transfer to cooling rack.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Beth Caudill
Website: http://www.bethcaudill.net/
Blog: http://bethcaudill.blogspot.com/
Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bcnewsletter/

Are You Ready?

2009-12-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

Ah, the hustle and bustle of the holidays. It's in full swing right now, with only a mere ten days left till Christmas. I know this because my two youngest children are on the count down. Every day as we drive to the bus stop they shriek how many days are left till Christmas.

Thanks for the reminder, kids.

As the mom and overall head honcho of Christmas in my household, I can certainly become swept up in the bitterness that is induced by the holiday season. It can be quite stressful (major understatement), wanting to recreate the magic you remembered as a kid. I have no memories of my mom running around like a chicken with her head cut off. Stressed out because she forgot a present in the closet or burned the ham.

I bet she did though. I know she did. She's full of sympathy for me. Kindred spirits and all that good stuff.

Well, this year I vowed not to let the Christmas "spirit" stress me out. Life is tough right now for many of us - money's tight, jobs are lost, homes are lost. I consider my family lucky to have what we have, and we have a lot (jobs, house, etc.). My kids don't need a lot of toys so I chose with care. Things I thought they will enjoy and need.

We've tried to do more fun things as a family too like build a gingerbread house (thanks Mom!). Drive around and look at Christmas lights. Bake and frost cookies together. As of next Monday they're on vacation for two weeks so I have even more holiday fun planned.

And if it doesn't go as I expected well, who cares? That's what the Christmas spirit is all about.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Karen Erickson
http://karenerickson.com
http://karenwritesromance.com/blog

Holidays Shmolidays

2009-12-14T08:10:00.001-08:00

I have a love hate relationship with Christmas. Sure it's nice to have peace and goodwill around the holidays. Who wouldn't appreciate that? But for some of us, the holidays can be a complete bummer. I've had to deal with that and hope to share some of my coping mechanisms with those of you who are in the same boat.

I lost my remaining family of origin in 2001. I had already lost my grandparents, a brother and a sister, but when my parents passed away within two months of each other, I felt like an orphan. That feeling really invades my soul around Christmastime, especially if I let it.

The first thing I had to do was identify what I was missing-specifically. I was surprised when I realized I missed having people to give presents to. I went shopping with my cousin who had loads of family to buy gifts for and had to choke back the tears a few times. I'd buy gifts for my in-laws, but we discovered long ago that they're delighted with anything my husband buys for them, but if I get it wrong, well…let's just say it gets tossed aside without a thank you. Now my husband buys everything for them. I don't need any more discomfort.

Someone suggested I set a place at the table for them and invite their spirits to attend holiday dinners. Yeah…don't do that. When I realized one of us would have to sit in someone's spiritual lap at a table for eight, I broke down and put away the extra place settings.

To make matters a little better and worse, my husband is "Mr. Christmas." He decorates the whole house the day after Thanksgiving and leaves it all up and twinkling until the New Year. So, I just try to enjoy the prettiness and ignore the homes that load up with family members at Christmas. My daughter goes to her boyfriend's big family Christmas and I can't say I blame her. I'm not always the easiest person to pal around with that day.

In fact, on Christmas, the only guest we have is my husband's mother. Yes, the proverbial mother-in-law. She eats like a bird and I'm on a special diet, so making a big Christmas dinner is a huge chore that feels foolish to me. My husband has no sense of smell or taste so I could serve him hot dogs and he wouldn't know the difference.

So-what do I do about all these glaring reminders of how alone I feel at this time of year? I refuse to crumble. I fight back. Everyone has their own "triggers" but some of the ways I've learned to defend against the blues, you may find helpful too.

First, eliminate unnecessary stress.
I've gone on strike when it comes to cooking Christmas dinner and the three of us go out to a big Christmas brunch at a lovely hotel. It's a treat and we all enjoy it.

I let my husband do all the decorating. I don't complain about the lights and garland absolutely everywhere and he doesn't complain that I'm not helping.

Second, replace the things you miss.
I read a study recently that receiving gifts makes people happy, but giving gifts makes the happiness last longer. No wonder I missed shopping. It was the giving I missed! Even in this economy you can find bargains or make little gifts and give them to people who have been good to you during the year. You can even stop by your local fire house or police station with something-just because they're there.

Third, be good to yourself. Do things that make you happy.
I bought a timeshare in Florida for the first week of each year. It gives me something to look forward to and makes my workaholic husband take some time off. We always have a wonderful time, if for no other reason than having lots and lots of "vacation sex." Now there's a great way to relieve the tension of the holidays when they're finally over!

Are you struggling to make ends meet and can't afford to do anything that exceptional? Well, I empathize. I used to be a single parent and almost every penny went to pay rent and bills. My daughter and I made a list of all the things we liked to do that cost little or no money. Try it, you might be surprised.

Here are some of the things from our list:
Go to the perfume counter at any department store and try the free samples.
Do each others' hair and make-up.
If you have a fireplace, enjoy gazing at it or toast marshmallows.
Feed the birds and watch them from your window.
Put flowers on a neighbor's doorstep, ring the bell and run away.
Sing along to the radio.
Read books from the library. Especially fun if you read to each other.
Watch a comedy on TV.
Bake something.
Go to a music store and listen to new selections with headphones.
Find a store with music boxes and play as many of them as you want to. It's good for them to be played. Not good for them to sit unused for long periods of time.
Make your own bath salts. (Just Epsom salt and a few drops of perfume.)
Use them and take a long, hot bath. (Good for arthritis.)
Write to an old friend.
Make a new friend.

If you live in warm places:

Pick wild flowers and put them on the kitchen table.
Fly kites.
Walk on the beach and collect shells and sea glass. This also works in the forest with pine cones, river rocks and all kinds of interesting things.
Make crafts with those or other treasures.

Finally, count your blessings. There's always something to feel good about. Do you have a place to live? A car? Two feet you can walk on? Two arms you can hug with? A pet? A friend? There are always people who have less than you or have to deal with circumstances you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."
Anonymous

Today is the day Green Card is released from Total-e-Bound. It's a contemporary, Rubinesque with a manage and spanking:
Mason Germaine is close to a contract for his graphic novel, but if his model Katia is deported to Russia, his hopes will die...all of them.

Find it here: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=648

Thanks! Ash

--
Where there’s fire, there’s Ash
http://www.ashlynchase.com
http://www.myspace.com/ashlynchase
I'm on Facebook and Twitter
Come chat with me:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ashlynsnewbestfriends

Holiday Heroes

2009-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I introduced you to my latest release, Stupendously Yours, available at Total-E-Bound. While the focus of this story is on a woman who gets a truly stupendous guy for Christmas, the greatest part of the gift is that he's a soldier home for the holidays. So many of our men and women in the armed forces won't get to experience such a gift this holiday season. My heart goes out to them as well as any of you who have a loved one who will be away from you this Christmas.

As many of you know, I write the Heroes of Silver Springs series for Siren Publishing. I'm so often reminded in doing my research for these stories that there are far many more heroes out there risking their lives for us on our own soil everyday the same as our soldiers are doing for us overseas. Men and women on the police and fire departments, EMTs and doctors, and so many others put themselves on the line to see that we can have the safest and happiest holiday season possible. Today, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to them and to those of you with loved ones who serve our country whether it be in the military, fire, police, medical, or other service of our people. Without their bravery and compassion our Christmases wouldn't be as bright.

Tonya Ramagos

http://www.tonyaramagos.com/

http://www.sirenpublishing.com/tonyaramagos/sn.asp

A Stupendous Christmas

2009-12-12T06:06:00.001-08:00

What makes Christmas stupendous for you? For the first time in 7 years, I am truly enjoying Christmas. Now, this isn't to say I haven't had memorable Christmases the last 7 years. However, the fun and memories built were made around horridly long day and night shifts that left little time to celebrate the holiday season. Worse, I missed all the Christmas movies and classic cartoons!

I am blessed to find myself in a position of a full-time author this year. Not that working from home means I'm riddled with time on my hands. If you work from home, you probably know you end up working harder than ever because you never actually leave the place where you work. However, the advantage is you can manipulate the time and responsibilities to better serve your desires. I've been pounding away at the keyboard by day working on the latest WIP, but as of December 1st, I've been turning off the computer by 7pm. Yes, OFF! If it stays on it temps me too much. My children and I have been indulging in a nightly cup of hot chocolate, candle light, Christmas lights, and every Christmas cartoon we can find. I feel like a kid again myself. It's fabulous!! Or should I say, STUPENDOUS!

I use that word not only because it so perfectly describes this Christmas for me, but it's also part of the title to my very first Christmas story which also happens to be my first release with Total-E-Bound Publishing! Stupendously Yours is the tale of what makes Zoie Qwinn's Christmas truly Stupendous. Tired of mediocre sex, she is hot for adventure. When she can't find the excitement she craves in the men around town, she reaches across the world to the one man who's ready and capable if not willing to take her hormones on a fanciful journey to Multiple Orgasmville. Zoie Qwin never managed to snag Lieutenant Commander Nash Beagan's sexually daring heart, but Lady Zest in all her erotically written letters has.

Living out her escapades in a pen and paper relationship with her fantasy man proves to be enough, until Nash, home on a short leave, takes the stage at a male Christmas auction. Lady Zest is ready to break the bank for the Christmas present of the millennium, but Zoie wants the wicked desire in Nash's bedroom-blues all for herself. A snack in the parking lot, a drink at the theatre, and a window feast next to the Christmas tree delivers exactly that, until Zoie realises her cover's been blown and Nash is out to make her and Lady Zest stupendously his forever.

I hope you'll read more about Zoie and Nash's Christmas in Stupendously Yours available now at http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=635

Wishing you and yours and stupendous Christmas,

Tonya Ramagos
http://www.tonyaramagos.com

From author Terri DuLong...

2009-12-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

The holidays can be bittersweet—especially for those coping with job loss, divorce, the death of a loved one or a soldier spouse stationed far from home.

Yet a good book—a good story—can provide much needed hope.

In a year when so many women are grappling with economic hardship, I hope my debut novel, SPINNING FORWARD, can be such a story for you, a friend or a family member.

Starting over on a small island, after the untimely death of her husband, Sydney Webster finds the unique wool she spins and knits drawing appreciative attention from the locals. Could her passion become her future? As Sydney ventures out of her comfort zone, she steps into the embrace of a community rich with love and laughter . . . and finds the hope she so desperately needs.

Do you remember a book that helped you through a difficult time? Have you ever given a book to help a friend or relative through a rough patch?

Terri DuLong

Author of Spinning Forward

http://terridulong.com/

Celebrating the holidays with Raine Delight

2009-12-09T09:26:00.000-08:00

The holidays are upon us and this means the craziness has started. I know I am not the only one who hasn't even started their shopping yet or started their baking either. I got the best news last week as Aspen Mountain Press released as a stand al one title, my first holiday story in the Devon Falls series, Sticky Magic, with a very beautiful cover.

This story kicks off the Devon falls series and it tells of a shy herione who runs the local candy shoppe with her friend and partner, Raven. With a foolish (or not so foolish) wish to have the one man to fall in love with her, she doesn't expect him to walk into her business soon after. Marc du Bree is a man who is looking for his mate and he finds her in Jenna Stevens. With the Christmas Holiday upon them, will Marc be able to convince Jenna that love is indeed the best miracle of all?

I loved creating this story as Jenna is a bit like me- petite, shy around people and a bit cynical about love. Marc is a man who gets her to open up to the prospect of love and with a bit of magic of the season, both these two find something so much more. I met my honey in the spring four years ago and after a few bad relationships, this is a man who loves me unconditionally and that is what Marc shows Jenna though my honey doesn't have magic sprinkling around him. :) This story is near and dear to my heart and I hope you enjoy Christmas in Devon Falls.

You can find Sticky Magic either alone or in the Babes in Toyland II Anthology at Aspen Mountain Press, Fictionwise, Amazon, All Romance E books and 1romance Ebooks.

Check out my website for more information and plus enter to win my contest for a holiday goodie bundle. http://authorrainedelight.com/

The Great Escape

2009-12-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

Doesn’t matter your beliefs the holidays can be crazy. And this morning I woke up and realized that time had slipped up and away on me, and somewhere in the crush is my day timer. Yes, I admit I’m losing track, there’s just too much going on but that’s the nature of the season.

I know that I’ve done my share of griping about crowds and Christmas music played much too early but that aside I really love the holidays when it all settles down and you can just sit back and enjoy. It’s just right now as I search for the alleged day timer that I want to throw up my hands and just escape!

And that reminds me of the year we made the “great escape.” The year we spent the holidays in Malaysia was one of the most relaxing holidays ever. Not only was it relaxing but I enjoyed two turkey dinners that year as both sides of the family celebrated just a little early! So instead of missing the holidays I celebrated like I’d never before!

But I’m digressing.

Let’s get the setting right. Kuching, Malaysia, the year 2000 when everyone was just a little edgy and travel was cheap. Oops, that was a travel secret I maybe shouldn’t have divulged. Anyway - Ramadan was late that year, the Chinese were gearing up for Chinese New Years and everyone else was gearing up for January 1. So in the beautiful warm weather with a gathering of Malaysians disbelieving of what the temperature might be on the other side of the world, we partied. At a community barbeque we toasted Ramadan and Hanukkah and both New Years and… It was the only truly global celebration I’ve been to during the holidays and one I’ll never forget.

It reminded me of what’s important, and what all the craziness makes us forget, of that feeling of peace and goodwill - and the common thread that binds us all together.

Ryshia Kennie
http://www.ryshiakennie.com/
Ring of Desire, 2009
From the Dust, 2007

All I want for Christmas...

2009-12-07T07:26:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I said, "The usual. Pajamas, socks, gloves...those things I love."

He said, "Come on. You spend about $500 on me every year." (Golf can be expensive.) "I want to spend that much on you."

My eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Sure. Why don't you pick out what you want and we'll call that your gift."

I decided I wanted China. I knew I could get a good set because everyone has luxury items on sale. I went to a store, picked out a set and was going to buy service for twelve, but the sales clerk talked me out of it. "It's not for you," she said. So, a little annoyed that I must look like someone who didn't deserve China (!!! LOL) I went to JC Penney, bought a beautiful set of good dishes for $70, gave the clerk my $10 off coupon and had my dishes.

Because I'd spent so little, I went over to the luggage and chose a set. It, too, was on sale. So I got a gorgeous, 2-piece set of luggage for going to conferences next year and a service for 12 of good dishes, but I hadn't even spent $300.

Each time I bought something I'd tell the clerk of my husband's generosity and both clerks said, "Wish I had $500 to spend on myself."

It really made me think. I am lucky. I have a wonderful husband and a very fun career. I spend the first six hours of every day chatting on the Internet (calling it networking) and writing stories.

The past 3 years I've been particularly lucky to get to write some Christmas stories. THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, my November release from Harlequin Romance, was an absolute joy to write. I told the story of a lonely widow who finally gets a foster child so she can celebrate Christmas with someone, and her boss nearly screws up the month she gets to spend with the little boy. But in the end, his meddling gives her the opportunity to meddle a bit in his life and everybody comes out better for it. Especially on Christmas morning when they've forged a family bond. It's funny and heartrending, heartwarming and the kind of book where you find yourself cheering the whole way through...Because...

There is nothing that can replace family.

In addition to my wonderful husband, I have three great kids, two fantastic cats. My extended family is huge and we're always cooking up some way to entertain ourselves like Pre-Christmas parties, cookie painting parties (see susanmeier.com blog for THAT story! LOL), plays, shopping trips. You name it. We do it.

The truth is, there isn't much I need. The new dishes are pretty. The luggage is cool. But I handed my husband the leftover $200 and told him to get me some pajamas, some socks, and some gloves. LOL

Susan
susan meier
THE MAGIC OF A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Romance 11/09
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/susanmeier1

A Regency Christmas

2009-12-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

“Christmas is come and gone, and I am again alone! That it is not good for man to be so, is a truth which eleven years of absolute solitude have taught me too often to feel, though it is chiefly at this precise period that a sense of utter loneliness finds vent in thought, if not in words. It is not in spring, when the woods are vocal, and the fields instinct with life; —it is not in summer, when a contemplative mind finds "tongues in running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything;" —still less amid the sober stillness of autumn—the year's grey twilight, when man holds communings with his spirit, too deep and awful to be shared with his nearest and dearest, —that the burden of solitude becomes oppressive. No! It is when, after partaking in the refined, the social, or the domestic joys of those among whose firesides custom and consanguinity have divided my holidays, I return to the cheerless meal and silent vigil of my own bachelor home.”
~“The Bachelor’s Christmas” Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, January 1828, Number CXXXIV, Volume XXIII

Oh, our poor Regency (well, post-Regency) bachelor! In the January 1828 issue Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, he recounts his sad tale of love lost. In the end, he helps his nephew marry his true love. But this kind act drops our bachelor into a fresh pot of misery. His nephew and bride depart to begin their new lives, leaving our restless bachelor to rediscover what it means to truly be alone.

What lover of romance, especially a lover of historical romance, can read the words of this lonely man and not dream ways to give him the happy ending he longs for?

So let’s do just that...

Picture a worthy widow who is as lonely as our dashing rogue. Perhaps she’s down to her last penny and finds herself wassailing with a group of ladies and gentlemen who share her same misfortune. They sing door to door for a little bit of food and if they’re really lucky, a halfpence coin.

I can already hear her clear, melodic voice singing an old Christmas carol that paints a beautiful picture of an English Christmas scene.

“Lo! now is come our gladdest feast,
Let every man be jolly, Each room with ivy leaves is dress'd,
And every post with holly.
Now all our neighbours' chimneys smoke, And Christmas blocks are burning,
Their ovens they with baked meats choke, And all their spits are turning.
Without the door let sorrow lie, And if with cold it chance to die, We'll bury it in a Christmas pie, And evermore be merry.”

~ The Christmas Box: An Annual Present to Young Persons, edited by T. Crofton Croker, Esq. 1829

But what’s this? An icy slip? She tumbles down our bachelor’s doorsteps, twisting her ankle and knocking her head. Our lonely bachelor, seeing that the lovely widow is hurt, rushes out into the cold and carries her into his warm parlor. He offers her and her friends hot tea and refreshments from his kitchen. And he’s so charmed by our brave widow that he invites them all to join him for a dinner of Christmas Pie (mincemeat pie).

From that small act of kindness, a romance blooms.

Ah, romance...

My Regency romances spring from kernels of ideas just like that. Each new idea a precious gift. Just like the excitement and magic of opening presents at Christmas, discovering new stories to write about fills me with joy and—yes—sleepless nights as a writer’s version of sugarplums dance in my head at night.

There’s the tortured marquess, Nigel, who hides his true passions—especially his love for the poor widowed, Elsbeth—beneath an icy mask. ~ The Nude, May 2009

Then there’s the wild, out-of-control rogue, who longs for a steady wife to tame him. ~ Lady Iona’s Rebellion, June 2007

And I can’t forget my unhappy bachelor, Radford, who after a brush with death decides it’s time to take a wife. He makes a list of requirements for his a suitable spouse only to discover the untamed lady who makes his heart race meets none of his requirements. ~ The Marriage List, May 2005

And although their stories have been told, these characters are as real to me as anyone I know. I can’t help but sometimes wonder about what they are up to. What are they doing this Christmas?

To help answer that question, I’ve researched some Regency Christmas traditions:

Trimming a Tree: The tradition of decorating a Christmas tree was just arriving in England in the 1800s. Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, carried the tradition with her from her German homeland. Her biographer, Dr. John Watkins, provides an account of the scene:

“In the middle of the room stood an immense tub with a yew tree placed in it, from the branches of which hung bunches of sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins in papers, fruits and toys, most tastefully arranged, and the whole illuminated by small wax candles. After the company had walked around and admired the tree, each child obtained a portion of the sweets which it bore together with a toy and then all returned home, quite delighted.”

Don’t forget to station a footman beside the tree to tend the candles. We don’t want a fire!

Deck the Halls: This is an ancient tradition of decorating the interior and exterior of the home with holly, ivy, and other evergreens. In some areas it was considered unlucky to bring evergreens into the house before Christmas, so the decorating wouldn’t take place until Christmas Eve or even until Christmas Day.

Visit Family and Friends: As it still is, the holiday season is a time to pay calls on family and friends. You might bring a small gift for the host and his family. Books were just as popular gifts then as they are now.

Well-known Regency-era researcher, Nancy Mayer provides a list of presents a young Regency miss, Emma, received from 1813 to 1821 (between the ages of 12 to 20).

Plan a Feast: Finally, what is a celebration without a grand feast? Michelle J. Hoppe shares what could be found on the table at Christmastime in her article, “The Regency Christmas Feast” on the Literary Liaisons website. She even provides a recipe for a Traditional Christmas Pudding so you can bring the Regency feast to your home!

When you sit down at 4:00 pm for Christmas dinner in a grand manor house with your relatives, get ready to tuck in, for you’ll be feasting on either roast beef or venison served with fowl such as goose, capon, pheasant, swan or peacock.

Winter vegetables included potatoes, squash, Brussels sprouts and carrots.

And don’t forget the Christmas pie!

For dessert (is there room?) you’ll nibble on a fare that might include Christmas pudding, gingerbread, butter shortbread, trifle and syllabub.

Wine and wassail along with a healthy heaping of good cheer would be served along with the meal.

Ah, I don’t know about you, I’m stuffed. I believe I’ll retire to the library to catch up on my reading while the children pester their fathers to play outside in the snow.

No matter what holiday you celebrate this season, or how you celebrate it, take some time and have a very merry holiday this year!

Dorothy McFalls writes romantic suspense, mystery, Regency romances, and short stories. Her latest Regency release, THE NUDE is currently available from Five Star/Gale and was praised by a reviewer at The Romance Studio as being “one of the best historical romances that I have read in the last few years.”

Visit her website: http://www.dorothymcfalls.com/ to learn more about Dorothy, her books and her favorite recipes.

A Season To Remember Love

2009-12-04T15:40:00.000-08:00

by Charlotte Boyett-Compo

Romance doesn't always have to be in the here and now. Memories and feelings can be relived by gazing upon a treasured photograph or by listening to a song that has special meaning. Romance can be kept alive by holding all the precious memories and feelings deep within your heart. Like a prized trinket you hide in that special place only you know where to find it, romance can be cherished for as long as you draw breath.

And...or so I firmly believe...long after your last breath has come and gone.

If you have ever known true love--that deeply and abiding love that was as much a part of you as the blood flowing through your veins--you will never lose it. Not even to death.

On April 18, my husband Tom passed away. We would have celebrated our 43rd anniversary on July 10. For our 50th, we had been saving for a train trip from one side of Canada to the other to watch the leaves change. It was a goal toward which we pinched pennies and did without to see happen. It was a sacred promise he had made to me. Not because the colors would have been glorious or the trip exciting, but because we would have reached that tender milestone of half a century as man and wife--husband and wife, together for life; grow old with for the best is yet to be. It is a milestone to be cherished. It meant something to us; it would have been a goal none of our high school friends would ever achieve.

Nor would we it seemed.

Don't be sad for me. I had 44 wonderful years with the love of my life, the light of my heart, the guardian of my safety, the father of my sons. From the moment I met him on June 23, 1965 at approximately 7 p.m., I knew this was the man with whom I would spend my life. I knew it as soon as his hand touched mine. He would tell me a few months later that he had felt it, too. The earth moved beneath my feet as I looked into his eyes. We had each found our other half. Together we felt whole.

We dated all summer and were getting pretty serious. Mama didn’t like him because she wanted me to marry someone else but Tom Compo was a very determined man. Even though Mama took me to Tampa for two weeks and he knew that other boy was living there at the time, that we would no doubt date while I was visiting, he never wavered about what he wanted. When I returned home, he was waiting with open arms and a tender smile, gray eyes beaming with happiness.

But he had bad news. The Air Force was transferring him to New York, his home state.

I was devastated.

That was in August. I was to start my senior year in September and wanted to attend every home football game. I don’t know why I did but at the time it seemed important. I had made him promise he’d take me to all of them. He agreed. His being in NY with pending orders to Pakistan was going to put a kibosh to those plans.

Or so I thought.

War broke out between Pakistan and India and his orders were cancelled. You can’t tell me God didn’t have a hand in all this because against all odds Tom was sent right back to Albany, Georgia. He once told me he had never been so happy when his orders for overseas were suspended.

However, while he had been in New York, I was dating a guy named Bill. Tom had insisted I go out. I'm sure he had dates, too. The boy I was dating knew I wanted to go to the first football game of the year so I agreed to go with him when he asked. I had no idea what was about to happen!

On the night of the first football game, just before Bill was due to pick me up, I saw Tom's old gray Plymouth coming down the street. My mouth popped open because I had no idea he was back. He hadn’t called and he’d said nothing in his letters to me. The first words out of his mouth made my knees go weak.

“I’m here to take you to the game like I promised, doll. I always make good on my promises.”

I panicked. How was I going to tell him? How would he react?

His response stunned me.

“Okay, that's all right. I understand.” He shrugged nonchalantly. “We’ll go next week.”

My respect for him jumped even higher and I know darned well I had a stupid, goofy expression on my face for he reached out to tweak my nose.

He was still there when Bill drove up. I thought sure Bill would start a fight but Tom just sat down on the front porch swing and grinned. Mama was in the doorway, looking out the screen, highly amused by it all. He was still sitting there when we drove away.

Now what happened next would become legend in our family. It became the anecdote to drag out on every anniversary.

I was sitting on the bleacher with Bill on my left side, another old boy friend sitting in the band bleachers below us, when Tom plopped down beside me. I looked at him and felt the blood drain from my face.

“Hiya, doll,” was all he said. He looked around me and audaciously winked at Bill.

I thought Bill would have apoplexy. His face turned bright red, his fists clenched. To give him credit, though, he never said a word to Tom but he reached down and took my hand firmly in his. He was making it clear he was staking his claim. Only those people sitting behind us noticed that Tom moved closer to me. (Oh, I heard about it for weeks afterwards, believe me!)

Halfway through the game, the southwest Georgia weather turned cold. I hadn't brought a sweater. Bill didn’t have a jacket but Tom did. As I was shivering, he took off his jacket and put it snugly around my shoulders. I thought Bill would squeeze my hand in half but he kept his mouth tightly clamped shut. I swear I heard his teeth grinding together. Somewhere near the end of that game, Tom brazenly slid his hand over to mine. I had on a long skirt (this was the proper South in the mid-sixties) and my hand was under a fold. He laced his fingers with mine and squeezed. It was all I could do not to laugh. To a teenage girl with hormones beginning to rise, that was absolute bliss: two boys ‘fighting’ over her, each holding my hand. I glanced at Bill but he hadn't noticed what Tom was about. My heart was racing like mad. Tom was kneading my hand gently and lightning bolts were zigzagging through my body. I was teenage girl heaven, trust me.

Before the game was finished, Bill had taken all he could and insisted on leaving. Tom just grinned as we scooted by him. I was a bit disappointed because our school was down by six points and I really wanted us to win. Once we were outside the stadium and in the parking lot, a huge cheer went up in the stands. Albany had scored a goal and made the extra point in the last few seconds of the game but I didn’t get to see it.

Tom, of course, followed us. I don’t think Bill saw him at the burger joint we went to, but I did. He was sitting two cars over, watching us. I kept looking in the side mirror and everywhere we went…driving aimlessly for whatever reason Bill had that evening…he was right behind us. Then all of a sudden, he was gone. My heart sank a little but I thought it was just as well.

Guys, I had a ten o’clock curfew back in those days. My mother was very strict with me. She didn’t leave much room for hanky-panky had I been so inclined. Bill, being the gentleman he was, made sure he got me home on time. He was even bragging about being a few minutes early until we saw Tom's car in the driveway and Tom sitting on the front porch steps.

Oh, my was Bill livid! I really could hear his teeth grinding as he turned off the car. I thought sure he would start a fight but Mama didn’t give him a chance. She handled the situation quite well, her eyes dancing with mischief. She invited both boys inside with a strong recommendation that they behave as fine young gentlemen. It was awkward, I was at a loss to know what to do--looking to her for guidance--but she blithely left me alone with them in the living room and went calmly to bed with a smirk on her weathered face.

At midnight, she’d finally had enough. She got up and told the boys they had to leave. Tom looked at Bill; Bill glared at Tom. Tom was determined to be the last to leave. I will never forget the look on Bill’s face. If looks could kill…

Bill…having to work the next day…finally gave up about fifteen minutes later. With shoulders sagging, he kissed me goodnight and left.

I turned to Tom and saw the cockiest grin I'd ever seen on a boy's face. He was positively beaming.

“You’re mine, doll,” he told me. He snagged his arm around me and gave me a kiss that made my toes curl in my penny loafers. When our lips parted, he winked. “And don't you ever forget it.”

And that’s how it all started.

The soft bud of romance that blossomed in the summer of 1965 grew into a beautiful, precious deep red rose. Yes we had problems...all couples do...but we had fun. I have so many wonderful memories. All I need do is close my eyes and I can relive each of them as though it was happening in the here and now. All those treasured reminiscences will last me a lifetime.

They have to because there will never be another man for me. I had the best and I won't settle for the rest. He was my one and only. I was his baby-doll, his sweetie, his ‘first wife’ as he always introduced me. When my time comes, I have no doubt whatsoever that he'll be waiting there in the light for me. His arms will be open wide and he'll have that cocky little New York boy grin on his handsome face. He'll be young again; I'll be young again. My old knees will have spring in them as I run to him. His strong arms will enclose me. He’ll swing me around then dip his head down to put a soft kiss on my brow. I will lay my head on his shoulder, lace my fingers with his, and I will hear him whisper in that sweet, dear voice:

“I’m here to take you on that train ride like I promised, doll.”

Fingers entwined with mine, he'll make good on that promise as he did on each and every one he ever made to me.

And it will be glorious sitting there beside him, his arm around me, our heads touching. We’ll watch the leaves changing and listen to the clicking of the train on the rails.

So don't feel sorry for me because this will be my first Christmas without him. He's right here with me. His hand is on my shoulder. I feel his presence in every breeze that flows over me for he was truly the wind beneath my wings. I see him in every smile that passes over our sons' faces. I hear him in the laughter of our grandchildren.

Romance is a treasure to be savored. Time only deepens its luster. Death can not stifle love; it only separates one body from the other. It can not sever the connection of the souls. That bond is eternal.

The Demented Dispatcher!

2009-12-04T03:59:00.000-08:00

I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for thirty-one years and to keep insanity at bay, I took up writing. But don't worry the insanity is catching - much. Other than my addiction to chocolate and the twitch in my right eye, I'm good.

My dating advise is a tiny bit different from all those women's magazines. They've got it all wrong. Cougar on the Prowl is my advice to you ladies. Works like a charm.

COUGAR ON THE PROWL

The cougar is a concealment and ambush hunter. A good cougar stalks their prey and then circles in for the kill. Okay ladies, kill is a metaphor. For us lazy hunters, the ambush method of hunting uses less energy and has a greater chance of success.

The best place for hunting our prey is senior centers and retirement communities. Yes, you heard me right. Senior centers. The men are old, hearing impaired and can’t run very fast. C’mon, even I can out run them while they’re dragging along their oxygen tanks. I know. I know. Cougar’s prey are supposed to be young bucks. Too much work, girls. Old geezers are much easier to handle.

Men are horny. Old men are even hornier. Suck it up ladies and ignore the yellowing, mottled skin, scrawny bodies and talon like toenails. We cougars are not faint of heart. No, we are hunters. Hear us roar. So just trowel on the makeup. Old, remember? Can’t see very well? A good underwire bra combined with a sexy low cut blouse and bada-bing, bada-boom, your prey is hooked. You reel him in and net yourself a trip to Hawaii or an Alaskan cruise. And for God’s sake, don’t forget the Viagra and ear plugs. Yes, ladies, I said ear plugs. That Darth Vader like wheezing does tend to get on your nerves.

Another great location for hunting is pool side at the community centers. First you look for the gentleman with the dead critter perched on his head. That hair piece shows he’s vain and on the prowl. Next you check to see if he’s wearing enough gold chains to sink a battle ship. Remember, gold equals money. Money equals the perfect prey. Okay, sometimes not so perfect. His itty-bitty Speedo leaves nothing to the imagination and exposes his shortcoming to the entire world. But not to worry, a little Viagra will fix that problem. Unfortunately, the little blue pill won’t fix his sagging, wrinkled paunch or the fact that his body hair would rival a gorilla’s. But, downing a couple of Vicodins or a dozen Martinis will solve this problem. Remember, a successful hunter travels the world, first class. A bad hunter gets a quick trip to Vegas and the all-you-can-eat buffet.

And if you are more interested in hard bodies, lots of muscles and attitude, please check out JUST MY LUCK. The #1 best rated science fiction/romance on Goodreads.com. Here's a little peek:

JUST MY LUCK How did all this start? Them. It started with them. In 2015 something nasty found our world. They call themselves the Tai-Kok. I still remember that first psychic contact. Their hunger slapped me in the face. It was sharp, visceral and constant. They were malevolent, depraved ghouls who lived to eat. Literally. And their image is forever burned into my mind. Tall, hairless, skeletal humanoids with a mouth full of sharp metal teeth. And to complete the total gross out, three blood-red eyes glared out of skin so transparent you could see their bones and innards. Ewww.

How they found our world or why they consider us good eatin’, who knows. It was my job to stop them. My name is Kaylee Jones. I’m a cop and a Siren. You can consider me the early warning system that keeps Earth from becoming an all-you-can-eat banquet.

The bad thing is, I’m also what you’d call a trouble magnet. Just ask my brothers. Chaos and disaster dog me where ever I go. Sometimes it sucks being me. My psychic abilities are the only reason I’m still breathing.

How did I meet the vampire aka the big bad Coletti Warlord?

Part of my job description as a Siren was mentally scanning our galaxy for any signs of the Tai-Kok. I was searching the asteroid belt for their ships when I sensed an alien presence. It was male. Definitely not human. His utter aloneness. His grief for those taken from him and his burning need for vengeance resonated so deeply within me that I instinctively reached out. Big mistake. He latched on and dug in tighter than a tick on a hunting dog. No matter how hard I tried to dislodge the little shit from my mind, he wouldn’t leave. And just my luck, his hold on me kept getting stronger. For awhile my uninvited guest seemed to be content to just observe. That and growl whenever another man got near me. I mean, c’mon. It was like having a rabid pitbull stuck in your head.

What did Talree, the Warlord, want? Me. How romantic, you think? Not! The rat bastard needed blood and it seemed only mine would do. Lucky me. And to make matters worse, he decided to make me his mate. Big honor, he said. Didn’t matter that I wasn’t willing and this mate thing meant he owned me mind, body and soul. Ever tried telling a Coletti Warlord no? Doesn’t go over very well. Unless you’re armed to the teeth and even then, it’s pretty iffy. They’re damned good at mind control and add in their ability to teleport and you’re toast.

Okay, I’ll admit that the sex is hot. Really hot. Melt your panties hot. Gotta admit the first time I saw his dick it was freaky and kinda weird. So weird that I almost forgot the cardinal rule. Never ever make fun of a guy’s penis. But it gets the job done. If you know what I mean. Really really gets the job done. If you’re in to the multiple orgasm thing. Doesn’t hurt either, that Talree is a hunk. Body of a pro wrestler and a face that could grace the cover of GQ Magazine.

And the bossy jerk did agree to save our world from annihilation. But, the bad news was, Warlords aren’t benevolent do-gooder types and there was a price for them helping us. Our women.

That’s when I discovered the Coletti’s dirty little secret. Chemicals used in their Great War created a genetic anomaly and their women are going the way of the Dodo Bird. To save their race from extinction they must convert females of other species. Lucky us. Okay, I’ll live a very long time, heal quickly and can do neat stuff like teleporting and mind control but... Fangs! C’mon. Makes you want to bite something. A neck or an arm or...

And don’t get me started on my father-in-law Zarek, the Overlord of the Coletti clans. One scary dude that makes Darth Vader look like Little Orphan Annie. Did I ever mention, that I’ve got a big mouth and don’t take orders well? Yeah, kinda suicidal when dealing with Warlords. The mate bond with Talree and my abilities as a Siren are the only things keeping Zarek from mind-wiping me. For now.

And the really bad news was, Talree’s low-down conniving brother, Malik, had joined forces with our alien freaks and now we have to stop them from destroying the galaxy. For better or worse, our fates are intertwined. To survive what is to come, I have to embrace my destiny. Become something not quite human. Sometimes to protect and serve was a real bitch. But on the bright side, I can use that power to change the system. Introduce a little truth, justice and the American way. If we fail, not only would Earth be destroyed, but countless other worlds would fall, too. So not happening on my watch.

The next in the series is The Warlord's Comeuppance. Please check out my website www.gailkoger.com for more fun stories.

Gail

I Love Research

2009-12-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

Yep, that title describes me. I love research. I can get lost in it.
If reality hadn't had a nasty way of interfering, I probably could
have been a lifelong student. Alas, the children required feeding.
My husband expected a wife that dropped in occasionally. That lifelong
college career was not to be.

Maybe that's why I choose subject matter in my dark romantic thrillers
that I have absolutely no expertise in. I find the research endlessly
fascinating. I'm chock full of random bits of knowledge that serve as
little more than inappropriate dinner conversation (defleshing bones)
or make for eye-widening introductions (Meeting husband's new boss for
the the first time, dh jerks his thumb at me and says, "She knows a
half dozen ways to kill someone silently.") You just never know when
this stuff is going to come in handy.

My books tend to have a forensics / police procedural slant. I tell
myself that the characters have different forensic specialties to
prevent me from becoming bored. But I suspect that sub-consciously I?m
planning subjects that I'd like to learn more about.

I don?t often have the opportunity to travel to the location of my
story?s setting, but I did for Waking the Dead. My sister had once
lived in a picturesque little Oregon mountain town called McKenzie
Bridge. I always thought it sounded like a wonderful place to set a
book. So I flew out to stay with my her for a few days, and we hiked
the Willamette Forest and crawled through caves. I met someone who
described the perfect cave to dump seven sets of skeletal remains. He
didn't need to know that during the course of our conversation I'd
already mentally cast him as my villain :) complete with the
character's personality. That was magic.

A magic that didn't extend to the more technical aspects of the story.
Turns out I know very little about the care and feeding of dermestid
beetles, defleshing skeletal remains, testing bones for latent
fingerprints or extracting DNA from bones. But I was able to find
molecular scientists and forensic anthropologists to help along the
way. Research books only go so far. It takes experts in the field to
answer those questions specific to my plots. I find their information
and careers endlessly fascinating.

And always, after speaking with them, I'm left wondering, where *I*
was on career day.

Kylie Brant
http://www.kyliebrant.com

Seasons Greetings from Missy Lyons!

2009-12-01T07:36:00.001-08:00

Around our house we celebrate Christmas but I want to make sure I acknowledge the diverse readers background and hope you have a Happy Hannaka, Kwanza, or whatever it might be you celebrate in your house.

I also have to say thank you to the great staff at The Romane Studio for setting up the this Holiday event and inviting me to post on their blog. I was so excited when it first started and I have known about it for two weeks now and I should have had this ready a loooooong time ago, but a little procrastination is healthy, right? Right? What do you mean no?

Oh well, I will blame my fly induced delusions that make me want to stay huddled under the blanket, rather than get any real work done.

This has been a tough year, and our family has been affected by the economy like many other people. We had to deal with several layoffs and minor financial crises, healthcare issues, and stuff I am probably trying very hard to block out from my memory, but Christmas makes me forget for a short time all my troubles. The scent of fresh baked cookies, sprigs of pine needles running along the stair banister, a tree decorated with bright lights next to the windows. It makes me feel good in my heart to see it. Sometimes I wonder if God isn't trying to remind us that the holidays aren't supposed to be so commercialized and about something else altogether. Being kind to our neighbors, helping those in need, and reminding us that Christmas is not a day that is all about us or what we get, but what we can give.

So maybe there was a purpose to having to suffer all year long. I keep reminding myself it could have been worse and for some people it wasI have lot to be thankful for. We have a home and our family is together and I have great friends and loyal readers.

What does the holiday mean to you? On a personal level? Do you think of it as religious day or think of Santa as more important?

Because I'm in the giving spirit--I'll be giving away a copy of my holiday story Naughty and Nice to one lucky commenter on today's blog. (Find out why Jenna is on the naughty list and how much fun seducing Santa can be.)

Thanks for coming today and sharing your thoughts!
Missy Lyons is a romance and erotica author who writes everything from contemporary to paranormal romance. Her latest release was an erotic western titled Cowboys Don't Dance and is available at Siren Publishing. Check out the fun pages on her website to find about her other contests or special offers for readers HERE.

www.missylyons.com

Our Holiday Event 2009 will launch later today!

2009-12-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

And we're so excited. You can't believe the books and friendly thoughts we have to share from SO many authors! We hope to see you there!

Thank you!

Tina Pavlik
The Romance Studio ~ the romance genre today.
http://theromancestudio.com