I don’t like leaving anyone out! I wish everyone a happy holiday!
The Devlin family celebrated yesterday. Two of the grands’ visitation schedules with their other families collided with Christmas, so my dd asked Santa for a favor. He dropped gifts early morning Christmas Eve.
There’s nothing more fun than sending kids early to bed, then listening to them whisper.
“Shhh. We have to go to sleep or Santa won’t come.”
An acorn fell on the metal roof and rattled to the ground.
“Shhhh! Santa’s on the roof!”
My quick-thinking dd did a muffled “Ho-Ho-Ho!” And there was dead-silence. Ten minutes later, we checked. Everyone was snoring.
My daughter loves Christmas. Loves the Elf-on-the-shelf, the German traditions we brought home—St. Nicklaus morning when he leaves coal or a gift in a shoe to forewarn them how Christmas will be and the countdown advent calendar with its candies or small gifts they get every morning leading up to Christmas. Next year, we’re adding the Christmas spider to the tree.
She asked me, “What will we do when they stop believing?”
“You’ll tell them exactly what I told you—‘Santa stops coming when you stop believing.’ How old were you when you said you didn’t believe?”
“Mom, I never told you I don’t.”
“Exactly.”
I hope you all have your lovely Christmas traditions. Things you have to do or disappoint your family. Christmas isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s work. It’s time to reflect. It’s a celebration—whatever your beliefs—and children, if you have them, make it precious.
Do you have special rituals? Things your family does that if you skipped, someone would notice and complain? We’re doing our Christmas dinner early afternoon today. That date we couldn’t move. 🙂
Christmas is always a great time for movies. This year I’m going to see the new Hobbit movie, mainly so I can drool over Kili. (I know some of you are nodding!) Of course, the Hobbit isn’t a Christmas movie and I’m here to talk about movies set during the holidays.
I have three all-time best holiday movies. Two romances and one comedy. You may have seen them, but if you haven’t, definitely find time to make hot cocoa and watch them.
The Holiday is my number one pick. I just love this charming movie about two girls who’ve had bad luck with the men in their lives. They are strangers who meet on a home exchange and swap houses for the holidays. Iris lives in England and heads for American while Amanda goes to England. Of course, they find exactly what they aren’t looking for: a new romance. The movie stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black and Jude Law, who is so romantic in this movie when he starts crying.
While You Were Sleeping is one of my favorite Sandra Bullock movies. Lucy is your average, lonely working girl who dreams of Prince Charming. The man of her dreams gets mugged and goes into a coma. Of course, the fun begins when Lucy stops by to check on him and the nurse tells his family Lucy is his fiancée. Then, Lucy ends up falling in love with Peter’s brother, Jack. Of course, that makes for complications as Jack thinks she’s his brother’s fiancée. It is a fun, romantic movie. Definitely the kind of story I’d love to write.
Christmas Vacation is a classic. What can you say? Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid are hilarious. The Griswold Family Christmas is one of the funniest events ever. 20,000 outdoor lights and a trees too big for the living room. You think can things get worse? Then Cousin Eddie shows up. Randy Quaid just stole the movie is all I can say.
Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? If so, tell us about it in the comments.
I do hope everyone is having a wonderful Christmas Eve today and that you will have a wonderful Christmas tomorrow!
Also I have a Christmas special offer available for readers on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day only. Get a copy of “The Yard Sale” FREE at Amazon. It is a fun story with 21 5-star reviews!
If you’re in the mood for a historical romance that features a dashing captain, an elusive lady, romance & adventure in old New Orleans, To Save a Lady, is $1.99 countdown deal on Amazon.
Patricia Preston is a Southern author who writes historical and contemporary romance as well as humorous Southern fiction. Her publishers include New Love Stories, True Romance, Affaire de Coeur, Cloverdale Press, The Blue and Gray Magazine, Sea Oats Review, and Carina Press. She won the William Faulkner Award for Short Fiction, the Lone Star Writing Competition for Historical Romance, and Harlequin’s World’s Best Romances Short Story Competition.
Her current titles include a historical romance, To Save a Lady, two humorous short stories, “The Yard Sale” and “Laid to Rest” available on Amazon, and a historical novella, Almost an Outlaw.
Today, I woke up late again. I think that’s what this week is going to be like—until the morning the kids wake up to open their presents. Then all the adults will be haggard from lack of sleep. I remember back in the day, hearing children stirring at five in the morning and telling them to go back to bed because Santa still had work to do, and he could still come back and take away their prezzies. 😉
So, I’m trying to work on titles for the next couple of Night Fall books. I liked my first title because it used the word “Knight” and I thought it was a lovely tease for the old series title. The next books will also be reworked, expanded versions of the My Immortal Knight stories that I have the rights back to.
From my previous post, you aren’t too annoyed with Sm{B}ittenfor the title of Emmy Harris’ story. So, I’ll go with that. Now I want to think about the next book. Naughty Quentin’s story.
Here’s the old writeup:
To no-nonsense cop Darcy Henry and her task force, the only good vampire is a dead one. When their leadership seeks expert advice to capture a serial-killing vamp, Darcy is embroiled in a steamy love triangle between her partner, Joe, and Quentin the vampire. Darcy’s unable to resist both men’s relentless seduction or her sensual curiosity about a vampire’s “kiss”.
I’ve been playing with titles, and this list can be added to if you have any ideas… Vote for the ones that don’t suck…
Which titles do you prefer? Choose more than one if you like more than one!
A Knight Living Dangerously (30%, 11 Votes)
When Night Falls (22%, 8 Votes)
Tempted By The Knight (From Stephanie) (14%, 5 Votes)
Bitten by the Deep Blue Sea (This book is set in Vero Beach, FL) (8%, 3 Votes)
Dark Playground (5%, 2 Votes)
Bitten Curiously (From Stephanie) (5%, 2 Votes)
Darkness Times Two (From Shirley) (5%, 2 Votes)
Dark Seduction (From Shirley) (5%, 2 Votes)
Love in the Dark (From Shirley) (5%, 2 Votes)
My Lover, My Vampire (0%, 0 Votes)
A Lick and a Nibble (Okay, so I'm really reaching there...) (0%, 0 Votes)
Playa Del Vampire (Again, really reaching!) (0%, 0 Votes)
Total Voters: 15
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And, I’ll be working on my December newsletter today. If you haven’t already subscribed, you’ll want to. I’m including a gift to all subscribers. A free short story entitled, “Drive Me Crazy.” Sign up here!
Tagged: vampire Posted in General|5 People Said|Link
Last 5 people who had something to say: Stephanie - Ginger Robertson - Shirley Long - Sharon Chalk -
Before I start, I want to thank Delilah for hosting me again. I’m excited to be here, and I’ve got something to give away later.
This is the time of year a lot of people are thinking about goals, new and old. Did they make all their goals for the current year? What goals to set for the next year? Other people are simply thinking about their plans for the season: meals, parties, gifts, vacations. And some of us (like me!) whose day-jobs revolve around making sure other people’s lists are accomplished only want to make it through this month so the new year can begin.
Still others just go with the flow, taking everything as it comes along.
I admit to being a goal-setter. I love the feeling of accomplishment when I can check something off my to-do list. For example, I was very pleased with myself when I finished this blog post. Then panicked when my email program ate it. Gone. Poof, into the ether. Picture a frantic author still in her pajamas muttering and wailing in her office, digging through every nook and cranny of her computer she could think of to try to retrieve the file and failing. Rewriting it wasn’t in the plans, but a necessary deviation from the to-do list.
I’m not a strict by-the-list sort of goal-setter. I tend to leave myself some leeway and extra time to reach the goals I’ve set for myself. I’ve actually set my writing and life goals for next year already, thanks to a terrific class Delilah and her sister did earlier this month. Now, thanks to an unexpected development this week, I have to make some adjustments to those writing goals. Good thing I leave myself a little breathing space. Having to adjust my timeline for that first goal means I need to tweak all the ones that come after it, but even with a few more wrenches thrown in during the course of the new year, my goals are still achievable, and if I’m lucky, I’ll still have some time to just catch my breath.
Andi, the heroine in Hunting Medusa, has a short list of life goals: make a steady living; keep her head down to keep off the radar of the men hunting her; and to stay alive. Easy, right? Until Kallan, one of those hunters finds her. Then she’s forced to improvise, and it turns out she’s better at that than she expected. Kallan’s plan is also simple: find the Medusa, kill her, and steal a protective amulet. Piece of cake. But he had no idea that doing one of those things would make another impossible. Kallan is careful, so having his plan in ruins might send another man into panic mode. He simply comes up with a new plan. And then another when the second one goes to hell, too.
Are you a planner, a careful goal-setter? Or do you just go with the flow, letting things happen as they will? Something in between? I’d love to hear, since I’m always looking for tips to improve my own planning. Plus, for everyone who posts their tendencies, I’ll be doing a drawing on Wednesday, Dec. 24 for a copy of Hunting Medusa in the ebook format of your choice.
Author bio: Elizabeth Andrews has been a book lover since she was able to read. Almost as long as she’s been enjoying great books, she’s been attempting to write her own. When she found her mother’s romance stash as a teenager, it was a natural progression to write romances. Along with her enormous book stash, she lives with her husband of twenty years, two young adult sons, and belongs to two cats. When she’s not buried in her personal library, writing, or at the day-job, there’s a garden outside with flowers, herbs and vegetables that requires occasional attention.
www.ElizabethAndrewsWrites.com
Hunting Medusa, The Medusa Trilogy, Book 1
One murderous mission. One killer case of PMS. Who said “the curse” was a myth?
When Kallan Tassos tracks down the current Medusa, he expects to find a monster. Instead he finds a wary, beautiful woman, shielded by a complicated web of spells that foils his plans for a quick kill and retrieval of her protective amulet.
Andrea Rosakis expects the handsome Harvester to go for the kill. Instead, his attempt to take the amulet imprinted on her skin without harming her takes her completely by surprise. And ends with the two of them in a magical bind–together. But Kallan isn’t the only Harvester on Andi’s trail…
This time of year, people are busy celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas. There are presents to buy and parties to attend. It can be busy and hectic but a lot of fun too. I know I love everything about Christmas from the songs and the decorations, to the special food that is prepared only at this time of year.
Heck, I don’t even mind the mall. I take the bus, so I don’t have to worry about parking, and I meander through the stores, enjoying the decorations and the music. I love watching the children get their pictures taken with Santa. I’ll always stop and have a cup of tea or hot chocolate and people watch. I’m a writer; it’s what I do. I also like to spend a day in the downtown sector of the city. There I can find local, independent retailers, and I’m all about supporting local business. Plus, you can find many different and local products that the stores at the mall just don’t have.
But this is also the time of year for a much older holiday—the winter solstice celebration. This is the longest night/shortest day of the year—a day when many of our ancestors prayed for the return of the light. For me, it’s a day of contemplation, a day to think about new beginnings. For after that day passes, the days start growing longer again. And even though winter is just settling in, there is the distant promise that spring will eventually arrive.
Even more than New Year’s Eve, I find the winter solstice the time of year when I take stock of my life and think about any changes I want to make. It’s a time to count my blessings and be grateful for all that I have in my life.
May you and yours enjoy the holiday season, no matter which one you celebrate.
Merry Christmas!
And if you’re looking for a holiday story, a hot, quick sexy read that will warm you up on a cold winter day, try one of my two Christmas books.
Jessamyn’s Christmas Gift is an Ellora’s Cave Quickie that offers up a hot, loving holiday read.
But if you’re a little more adventurous, you might try The Gift of Shayla, my M/M/F novella from Carina Press. https://tinyurl.com/mgdcuch
N.J. 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.
It’s the 20th! I can’t believe how fast this month has flown! Do you have all your gifts bought? I had one last thing to buy, for my dd, and I decided not to buy anything at all. I have to gift some of my family treasures sometime, so I thought, why not start now? Besides, it’s dreary outside. I want to stay in my office wearin’ my jammies where it’s toasty warm and sip hot chocolate while I work. Sound like the best job ever? It is. 🙂
I wish I’d be writing new words today, but I have some administrivia to finish up today. Cleis Press approved a line up for the upcoming In Vikings’ Arms anthology, so I have to send out notices to the authors. Once I’ve notified everyone, I’ll post the list on Facebook. I don’t have a publication date yet, but at least you can salivate over the authors’ names.
Also, I need to finalize my 2015 writing/production plan. I’ve been playing with it all month. I think I’m close to having a list of projects I’m excited to work on. And about time. I hate to wait until the last minute. I want to start the year the way I intend to work it—with fierce determination!
In case you weren’t aware (and I know, I need to update my website this weekend!), I had a new release this week. Or a new old release? Anyways, a story I published years back, a vampire Christmas novelette, has been reworked and republished. Best yet, it’s only $.99! Here’s where you can find it:
In the aftermath of a terrible hurricane, Noelle Moyaux questions her gift of sight until a chance encounter with a mysterious stranger sets her on a path to save his soul.
Magnus Thornton is a millennium-old vampire who has found evidence of an old foe’s evil at work in the demolished city of New Orleans. Weary of the fight, he decides to greet the coming dawn after a night reveling in his favorite indulgences—a bottle of wine and a willing woman.
What starts as a night of sensual delights ends in a revelation of mutual discovery when Noelle quickly creeps into his heart. The ancient vampire, so jaded from life he never speaks, must now persuade her to flee the city before it’s too late.
The next Night Fall book will be another in the revised series. I’m retitling it and I have this title, it’s a little quirky: Sm{B}itten. The {B} part would be in ghostly, faded gray on the cover. I think it’s fun, but my dd isn’t sure you’ll get the joke. I think it’s perfect for Emmy Harris’s book. She’s a ditzy blonde—me at 20, folks—who enters into the dark world of vampires quite by accident.
What do you think of Sm{B}itten as a title?
Oh! And if you happen to pick up Silent is the Knight to read, would you mind posting a review somewhere or telling a friend? Self-publishing success depends on readers’ word-of-mouth. If the refurbished series does well, I’ll be writing new installments!
* * * * *
UPDATE! I’m pleased to announce the final lineup for my next Cleis Press anthology, SEX OBJECTS! Congratulations to all the authors!
Slap Happy – Rachel Kramer Bussel
As Pretty Does – Tenille Brown
Rushin’ Red – Megan Mitcham…
The Masseur – Flora Dain
Butled – Delilah Devlin
Red Line – Kathleen Delaney-Adams
Erection – Tim Rudolph
Vivify – Cashmere S. Jackson
Charlotte’s New Toy – Lavender Daye
Just One Night – Emma Jay
Hush – Cathy Gold
Potential – Heather Day
Concerto for Cellist and Maestro – Michael Bracken
Game Night – Anne Lange
Dark Circus – Rachel Firasek
Taste Test – Michael M. Jones
I share my somewhat messy office with my alien kitten, Wookie. That’s my favorite place to work because I can go in there, turn on the radio/cd player/tv and close the door! LOL Well that was true until the end of June 2013.
This morning, as I settled down to write this guest post, Wookie, who has been my muse and writing partner for the last ten years, sashayed up to my chair and asked, “Chrruupp?”
I immediately dropped my hand to her soft little head to pet her. I believe that’s an automatic reaction to “Chrruupp?” even though it has nothing to do with the question. The question being “What are you doing?” or maybe “Do you have any nummies for me?”
Wookie is fluffy, too fluffy if you know what I mean. So instead of giving her any of the treats sitting on the desk, I simply replied ‘I’m writing a guest post for a very popular blog’. At this point, Wookie leaped onto the back of my chair because her minion, Skye, had entered the room and Wookie always likes to look down at her. I think it has to do with a cat’s natural sense of superiority.
Skye, meanwhile, is rooting her nose under my hand demanding, in her own sweet way, her share of pets. In case you haven’t heard, Skye is my Golden Retriever who came to live with us last year. She started as an 11 pound bundle of golden fluff that the vet’s office promptly named ‘Cutest Puppy of the Year’. She’s still adorable. She’s still golden. And she’s got more enthusiasm in her than Wookie and I can wrangle in any given day.
Okay, so how does an energetic and enthusiastic young dog fit in with a writer and an alien kitten? It’s like life everywhere. You have to learn to balance. In this case, I had to learn to balance my time and energy.
Wookie is great for solving writing problems. With a wise and thoughtful ‘Mmrrppp mee-rall’, she can point out mistakes I’ve made in characterization better than an editor (and I’ve had some fine editors). But Wookie is a slow motion creature. The only thing she does fast is fall asleep.
That’s where the Golden Minion comes in. With her boundless energy, Skye gets both Wookie and I revved up and moving. And that helps me figure out the action part of my book plot. It also keeps me moving because Skye has needs of her own. She likes to retrieve (surprise!) so I have to spend time tossing a ball or a Frisbee or a cuddly toy. She likes running so I take her outside to do the Frisbee or just let her stretch her legs (and mine).
When we come back inside, I’m energized and ready to write. Wookie has had her alien kitten-nap, twentieth of the day, usually in a sunbeam. On her back. With her feet in the air. If she feels like it, she’ll get up and join me by the computer while Skye wanders off to her bed to take her own ‘cat-nap’. Doggy-nap? Minion-nap? Whatever. It leaves Wookie and me the freedom to do the important work of writing that next fascinating scene.
Wookie likes to hang on the back of my chair where she can read over my shoulder. If she’s quiet, I can bet she’s either a) impressed with the story or b) asleep. If you’ve ever met a cat, especially an alien kitten, you know that to impress them is quite a feat.
With a flick of her pointy ears and a feline smile, she’ll ask, “Mwawww?” Which means are you done? Because it’s time for her nummies followed by a rousing game of kill the feather tease toy.
Heartstone By Lynda K. Scott
Mundania Press
Science Fantasy Romance
Eric d’Ebrur is out of time. He must fine the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar’Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves?
After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she’s losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d’Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she’s sure of it. But insane or not, she’ll find the Heartstone and, if she’s lucky, a love to last a lifetime.
Altered Destiny by Lynda K Scott
Science Fantasy Romance
Available in ebook formats
Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she’s enslaved…or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband.
Devyn MacGregor’s alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui’arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females…until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them.
While You Were Sleeping is one of my favorite Sandra Bullock movies. Lucy is your average, lonely working girl who dreams of Prince Charming. The man of her dreams gets mugged and goes into a coma. Of course, the fun begins when Lucy stops by to check on him and the nurse tells his family Lucy is his fiancée. Then, Lucy ends up falling in love with Peter’s brother, Jack. Of course, that makes for complications as Jack thinks she’s his brother’s fiancée. It is a fun, romantic movie. Definitely the kind of story I’d love to write.
Christmas Vacation is a classic. What can you say? Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid are hilarious. The Griswold Family Christmas is one of the funniest events ever. 20,000 outdoor lights and a trees too big for the living room. You think can things get worse? Then Cousin Eddie shows up. Randy Quaid just stole the movie is all I can say.
So, I’m trying to work on titles for the next couple of Night Fall books. I liked my first title because it used the word “Knight” and I thought it was a lovely tease for the old series title. The next books will also be reworked, expanded versions of the My Immortal Knight stories that I have the rights back to.
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And if you’re looking for a holiday story, a hot, quick sexy read that will warm you up on a cold winter day, try one of my two Christmas books.
But if you’re a little more adventurous, you might try The Gift of Shayla, my M/M/F novella from Carina Press. 
I share my somewhat messy office with my alien kitten, Wookie. That’s my favorite place to work because I can go in there, turn on the radio/cd player/tv and close the door! LOL Well that was true until the end of June 2013.
That’s where the Golden Minion comes in. With her boundless energy, Skye gets both Wookie and I revved up and moving. And that helps me figure out the action part of my book plot. It also keeps me moving because Skye has needs of her own. She likes to retrieve (surprise!) so I have to spend time tossing a ball or a Frisbee or a cuddly toy. She likes running so I take her outside to do the Frisbee or just let her stretch her legs (and mine).
