UPDATE: The winner is…SnarkyMom!
*~*~*

Hello, everyone! First I want to thank Delilah for hosting me today, for sharing her space with me. It’s always generous of her to do that, and always fun for me to be here. 

I have to admit, I’ve been looking forward to the end of this year. I thought I was looking forward to the end of last year, but then 2018 happened. The last couple of years have been rough here, but the challenges look like they are winding down, which is a huge relief. I’ve been anticipating the start of the new year for a fresh start. 

My fresh start doesn’t include New Year’s resolutions–I’ve never had much success with those. Instead I always set goals for myself (mostly writing, though I used to include personal things on those lists) and try to break them down into smaller, manageable bites that make it more likely I’ll reach those goals by the end of the year. Sometimes life gets in the way, like it has for the past three years. Some things you simply can’t plan for. 

I had high hopes for last year, even after the really lousy start we had. But if you’ve experienced loss, you know what happens: even when you think you’re good, or you think you should be better, grief has a way of pulling you under when you least expect it. 

So I am looking at next week, at the start of the near year, and am determined that the last couple of things we still need to wrap up will not slow me down. I have my writing goals fine-tuned (Thanks for that, too, Delilah! I do love the goal-setting workshop each December!), and I am almost ready to go. I have a few days left this year to relax a little before we turn the calendar forward–just the direction I’m aiming for. 

My list is ready, posted on my bulletin board here beside my desk in my home office, and tucked into my day-job tote bag where I will see it daily when I pull my things out to put on my desk there in the mornings. I did add some personal goals to the list this year (You know what else loss and grief can do? Screw up your day-to-day schedules, including meals and exercise.), so I can end next year in a much better place, writing-wise and personally, than this year or last year, or even the year before, before things went really haywire. 

I’ve had some really ambitious lists in previous years, must bigger lists that I managed to pull off, because things went my way in every conceivable circumstance. These last few years? Not so much. So my list for 2019 is a little smaller than I would like, but I don’t want to set myself up for failure. If I get more done, that can be a nice bonus when we get to this time next year. But honestly, I’ll be thrilled to check off everything on my goals list for the year, even if there is no extra. 

I wonder how many others are ready for the new year to begin, for your own fresh start? Do you have specific goals? A short list? A long list? Just a reading list? I have an electronic copy of my book Hunting Medusa and a gift card for either Amazon or Barnes & Noble to give away for one commenter. I’ll do a drawing via RandomResult.com for these and include entries for everyone who comments between now and 5pm EST on Friday, December 28, 2018.   

Happy New Year! 

About Elizabeth Andrews

Elizabeth Andrews has been a book lover since she was old enough to read. She read her copies of Little Women and the Little House series so many times, the books fell apart. As an adult, her book habit continues. She has a room overflowing with her literary collection right now, and still more spreading into other rooms.  Almost as long as she’s been reading great stories, she’s been attempting to write her own.  Thanks to a fifth grade teacher who started the class on creative writing, Elizabeth went from writing creative sentences to short stories and eventually full-length novels. Her father saved her poor, callused fingers from permanent damage when he brought home a used typewriter for her.  

Elizabeth found her mother’s stash of romance novels as a teenager, and—though she loves horror—romance became her very favorite genre, making writing romances a natural progression. There are more than just a few manuscripts, however, tucked away in a filing cabinet that will never see the light of day.

Along with her enormous book stash, Elizabeth lives with her husband of more than twenty years and two young adult sons, though no one else in the house reads nearly as much as she does. When she’s not at work or buried in books or writing, there is a garden outside full of herbs, flowers and vegetables that requires occasional attention.  

©Diana Cosby 2018

One of the challenges of writing is creating new story ideas, or, if working on a rough draft, deciding what to write that day.  For me, regardless of the task, I find inspiration in nature.

There’s something amazing about walking in the woods, of the whisper of wind, or the tapping of a distant woodpecker.  As I follow trails through the forest, take in the squirrels chatting, the birds chirping in the trees, or other sites of nature, I relax.

With each path I choose, surrounded by nature, instead of struggling with my current story issues, new ideas flow through my mind.

How can you not smile when you see the quirky things that the birds or squirrels do, or watch fox kits play.

By the time I return home, I find myself recharged, energized to dive into the writing day to unravel any story problems, or, to work with my characters if they decide to be stubborn.

At the end of the day, I wind down by reviewing photos of nature that I took during my walks.  I’m always amazed by the incredible things I see in the woods.  Best, knowing that when the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll be out in the forest again and no doubt be inspired.

About the Author

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense.  Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated in five languages.  Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world.  After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series and The Oath Trilogy, and the first three book of The Forbidden Series, she’s now working on book #4, Forbidden Realm, of the five-book series, which will be released August, 6th, 2019.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

Contest

Contest:  ***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post on Inspired By Nature on Delilah’s blog between 26 December 2018 – 1 January 2019.  The winner will receive one of Diana’s mugs and a tote.

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
Forbidden Series:  Forbidden Legacy/Forbidden Knight/Forbidden Vow/Forbidden Alliance‒Aug. 6th 2019/Forbidden Realm TBA

What a lovely day…

This year, the Devlin family decided to destress a bit. Christmas has always been: get up early with the kids, then rush to prep the Christmas meal. This year, my mom and my daughter decided that neither of them really wanted to cook. (Don’t look at me. I’m never in the equation when it comes to the big meals. I can manage a decent breakfast, but turkey or ham? All the fixin’s? Not in my wheelhouse, and not if you want to enjoy it. 🙂 )

So, we decided to go out, en masse, for a meal at a local restaurant on Christmas Eve. Afterward, we had the adults’ gift-giving (because Christmas morning is all about the kids), and then home for early bed. So, here I am at 8 PM, finally remembering to post. And it’s perfectly quiet. Peaceful. I think this became a new family tradition.

It’s funny how when you’re a kid, you think you’ll always have the same holiday traditions. We had a few unusual ones in my family when I was growing up. Every Christmas Eve, my father would bundle up in his parka, shovel off the back deck if necessary, and barbecue steaks. Now this was long before gas grills. It was all charcoal and lighter fluid. This was the 1970s, so barbecuing in winter was very rare. We’d eat early because all my parents’ friends would come to our house later that night. It was always a lot of fun.

Then there were the parties my parents threw every holiday season. My mom would be cooking and baking for days. The dining room table would be weighed down with food. There would be turkey, a roast of beef, baked ham, potato salad, fruit salad, Jell-O salads (it was the 70s), fresh rolls and butter. Guests would serve themselves and find a place to eat in the living room or family room. Looking back, it’s a wonder so many people fit into such a small space, but there always seemed to be room. There was always a Christmas fruitcake and cookies, mini chips and flings (not sure they still make those), open boxes of chocolates. My mom is an amazing baker and whipped up all kinds of yummy holiday cookies and treats. My father would tend bar, mixing all kinds of drinks. He’d also make up a huge bowl of punch that was always festive.

The Christmas tree always sat in front of our living room window. It was always my job to test the Christmas lights. In those days it was all chunky colored light bulbs and metallic reflectors in various shapes and colors. The tree was artificial, and in retrospect, it wasn’t all that big. But it always seemed so large and magical when it was lit and the presents were piled under it, just waiting to be opened.

Those days are long gone. My father passed away in 1982 when I was only eighteen, so I cherish those memories. But my mom is still here. She just turned eighty and is still going strong. She continues to bake fruitcake for family and friends every year, and we all love it.

New traditions have come and gone during different stages of my life. I think I cherish them more now because I’m very aware that times come and go. Situations change, as do relationships. But through it all, some things remain. I’ll spend time with my sister and her partner and my mother and stepfather, and on Christmas Eve you’ll find me at my brother and sister-in-law’s home. He’s the one who now fires up the grill to barbecue steaks and other goodies for us to eat.

Yes, traditions come and go, but the important thing is spending time with those you care about, whether that’s family or friends.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and I hope 2019 is the best year of your life.

Drakon’s Tear

Blood of the Drakon, Book 6

Dying isn’t an option. I’ve survived a kidnapping, and now I’m on the run from the Knights of the Dragon who want my gift. There’s nothing a dragon loves more than treasure. I’m Abigail Owens, and I can sense gemstones. When I find myself drawn to a beautiful stone bracelet at a tiny shop in Moscow, I can’t help but have it — even though I can sense it’s power. But I didn’t realize with this one decision I’ve just put myself in the middle of a war between the Knights and a Drakon.

I guess I’m just lucky like that.

The only person I trust even a little is Vasili Zima, which is weird since I’m not sure if he wants to kill me or protect me. I’m drawn to him in a way I hadn’t thought possible, and he feels the same way, or he wouldn’t be risking his life to help me. He’s wanted by the bad guys just as much as I am, and staying with me, well, there’s a hundred percent chance I’m about to get us both killed. But I will not be going down without a fight.

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K6F5WC8/
Entangled: https://entangledpublishing.com/drakon-s-tear.html
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drakons-tear-n-j-walters/1129819271
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drakons-tear/id1441318340
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/drakon-s-tear

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, 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.

Visit me at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/awakeningdesires/info
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

Thanks for hosting me, Delilah. I love to talk about the inspiration for my new mystery romance, Flotsam and Jetsam: the Amelia Island Affair.

Flotsam & Jetsam: the Amelia Island Affair is a cozy mystery romance set on a barrier island in north-east Florida. Released December 17, 2018 by Wild Rose Press, it arose out of a visit to the island.

I first visited Amelia Island to attend the Amelia Island Book Festival, and was struck by the crazy quilt of events it had witnessed. Known as the Isle of Eight Flags, it had seen wave after wave of conquering armies, some big—like the Spanish, and some tiny—like the Patriots of Amelia Island, who mustered nine gunboats and maybe a hundred men. Timucuan Indians, French, Spanish, pirates, Scots mercenaries, Confederate and Union soldiers—all occupied the tiny island at one point or another. It also has a sizable Geechee (Gullah) community. Faced with a setting like that, who wouldn’t want to craft a nice little murder mystery?

The main town, Fernandina Beach, contains several historical buildings, a marina, and Fort Clinch. Built in 1847 by the US, the fort sits on the northern corner of the island, protecting the entrance to the Amelia River. South of it is Egan’s Creek, a marshy area.  In Flotsam & Jetsam, four bodies are discovered, ranging from north of the fort all the way to Egan’s Marsh. While Ellie and Simon investigate the deaths, they have to draw on much of Amelia Island’s colorful history. I hope readers find it as fascinating as I do.

Flotsam and Jetsam: The Amelia Island Affair

Who’s littering the park with corpses?

State Park Rangers Simon Ribault and Ellie Ironstone are used to dealing with messy campers and ravaging raccoons, but when three bodies wash up on the beach, they mobilize all their powers of deduction. Who are they and how did they get to the shore of Amelia Island? Are they connected to the secretive League of the Green Cross? Or linked to a mysterious Jamaican drug ring?

Ellie, new to Amelia Island, must penetrate a close-knit community if she wants to find answers to the mystery, all while deciding between two rivals for her affection: Thad, the handsome local idol, and Simon, the clever, quirky bookworm.

Simon, for his part, will have to call on his not-so-well-honed romantic prowess to lure Ellie away from Thad and at the same time use his wide-ranging research skills to solve the case.

 Excerpt: First Kiss

“Simon…”

The magic word. He walked the finger up her arm, circled her neck, and brought her lips to his. The kiss lingered, but not enough to satisfy him. He had adored this little creature for so long—since she arrived at the fort in fact, in a crisp new uniform, her campaign hat still unfaded, her expression a mix of terror and determination. He had fallen like a shooting star and could still feel the burn marks. But he had never in his wildest dreams thought she might feel the same way. He sat back, letting his hand fall.

She pulled him toward her and kissed him again. As the kiss wound down, they heard a tapping on the window. Georgia stood on the sidewalk grinning. “There’s a hotel around the corner, you know.”

Simon swiveled to look at Ellie and found himself the butt of a furious, hissing face. “You.”

“Me? What are you talking about?”

“Two-faced, two-timing, two-dollar bill. Or should I say multiple timing. How many other women do you have hidden in island nooks and crannies—this island which you know so well?”

“Huh?” This isn’t going as swimmingly as I thought. “I…uh.”

“Take me home. Now.”

“Ellie…”

“Now.”

When they rolled up in front of Ellie’s house, a cheery yellow bungalow on Fletcher Avenue with a wide porch and hanging geraniums, a silver sports car sat at the curb. Oh great, the mighty Thad.

Simon’s nemesis disentangled himself from the wheel. Slowly, as if for maximum effect, he unfurled his powerful body, planting his size fourteen shoes solidly on the ground. A beefy hand languidly brushed the sandy hair from his forehead. Strapping shoulders squared, he loped over.

Flotsam and Jetsam: the Amelia Island Affair
The Wild Rose Press, December 17, 2018
Imprint: Mainstream Mystery
Rating: Spicy (PG13)
Paper 430 p.; Ebook 97,578 words

Buy Links:
The Wild Rose Press: https://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-titles/6345-flotsam-and-jetsam-the-amelia-island-affair.html
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Flotsam-Jetsam-Amelia-Island-Affair-ebook/dp/B07JKTXYJC
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flotsam-and-jetsam-m-s-spencer/1129787048?ean=2940161601945
ITunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/flotsam-and-jetsam/id1439717297?mt=11
KOBO:https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/flotsam-and-jetsam-the-amelia-island-affair
Indigo:https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/flotsam-and-jetsam-the-amelia/9781509223350-item.html

About the Author

Although M. S. Spencer has lived or traveled in five of the seven continents,the last thirty years were spent mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staff assistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, policy wonk, non-profit director, and parent. After many years in academia, she worked for the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Department of the Interior, in several library systems, both public and academic, and at the Torpedo Factory Art Center. She has two grown children and a perfect granddaughter. Ms. Spencer has published twelve mystery/romantic suspense novels, and currently divides her time between Florida and Maine.

Contacts:
Blog: https://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msspencerromance
Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/msspencer
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/msspencerauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspencerauthor/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MSSpencerauthor
Linked in: www.linkedin.com/in/msspencerauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-s-spencer
https://www.bookbub.com/m-s-spencer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msspencerauthor/

Book signings have long been a promotional staple of an author’s life. Before the digital age, lucky authors traveled across the country or internationally to greet piles of books and enthusiastic lines of readers eager to meet their favorite writers and acquire an autograph.

I published my first book in those days and the subsequent book signings did not meet expectations. The publisher did not arrange the events; I did. The publisher did not cover any costs for travel or other expenses. Bookstores—not the publisher—notified local news media. I did manage to sell some copies, but mostly I sat at tables filled with books and perfected the art of being invisible as bookstore patrons pretended not to see me.

Decades later, the experience hasn’t changed all that much, except for the venue. For one thing, my hometown no longer has a “regular” bookstore (although we have a couple of used books bookstores).

In 2017, I dipped my toe into convention waters, first with a mid-size, 3-day event called CONglomeration held in Louisville, Kentucky. Attendance there hovered around 500 people, most of whom attended to participate in the gaming tournament. I had no idea what to expect, so that event served as my baseline. I sold five books, not nearly enough to cover my hotel, meal, and travel expenses. However, it served as a valuable learning experience. I attended GenCon in Indianapolis, Indiana which commands attendance exceeding 50,000 people and spoke to several of the authors selling their books. They reported decent sales, although stated the costs for participating as vendors at such a large convention were, in a word, prohibitive. Another excursion to Louisville for a book signing/selling event proved nothing but a waste of time and money.

This year, I decided to stay local to minimize those outgoing expenses. I participated in author events in Columbus, Springfield, and Dayton, Ohio. The Columbus event captured a small number of attendees. The Dayton event had over 100 authors and probably fewer than two dozen attendees. The two Springfield events varied widely, despite having comparable numbers of participating authors. One event was held in August, the other two weeks before Christmas.

The mad rush of Christmas shopping did not impact attendance; the lack of any holiday shopping did not affect attendance at the August event. What I learned is that timing doesn’t seem to matter, but location does. The one factor that apparently determines the success of an author event is that it be held where people already gather.

In short, if you want your author event to succeed, then it must be held where the people are.

Hen House Publishing hopes to repeat the success of the Springfield Book Fair on February 10. Again, the Winter Book Fair will be held at the same popular gathering place: Mother Stewart’s Brewing Company. The goal is to take advantage of the brewery’s popularity as well as to bring in additional customers for the brewery. Wish us luck.

Bear of the Midnight Sun

After a thousand years, immortal polar bear shifter Sindre finally finds his mate—on a talk show. In the city where anything goes, an impromptu wedding is just a taste of what’s to come. Startled into going through the ceremony, Miranda can’t stop the big, virile man from staking his claim on her and releasing her bear. Sindre can’t believe his good luck and will do anything to keep his mate at his side, up to and including taking marital advice from Atlas Leonidus. An independent woman with a successful career, Miranda melts at his touch and shuns his control, except she can’t control her bear.

And here’s the buy link: Bear of the Midnight Sun (Immortal Shifters Book 3).

About Holly Bargo

Holly Bargo is a pseudonym, but really did exist as a temperamental Appaloosa mare. The author still has horses—anybody looking for a wonderful pony? She lives on a hobby farm in southwest Ohio with her husband and menagerie of 4-legged critters. She and her husband have two sons, one graduating from university in 2019 and the other serving in the military. Holly writes primarily romance and fantasy, often blending the two. She has published over 20 books since 2014. She explains her prolific output by saying that if she doesn’t write, her mind will explode.