‘Tis the season to be lazy… Fa-la-la-la-la… 

Or at least it is for me. Our Christmas shopping began in late summer, and I purchased the last little things I needed at the beginning of this month. Yes, I have to wrap all the crap, er, wonderful gifts. I really do think everyone will be pleased. So, what’s left to do?

Work. However, that’s the last thing I want to do. See, there are all these delightfully awful Christmas movies to watch with the fam. We plan our lives around movie nights, now. Last night it was Godmothered. The 7-year-old loved it so much she asked, “Can we watch it again? Please!” Loved the concept. Hated the execution. Tonight, we’re hoping for a better experience with the Jamie Dornan movie, Wild Mountain Thyme. Please, someone who watched it when it released yesterday, if you hated it, don’t tell me!

We’re doing take-out a lot this week. All those homecooked meals for months are wearing on us. It’s so much work! Thank God for drive-thru and carry out. We’re having Greek gyros for lunch but home-cooked pork shops tonight. Nothing “healthy”. I’ll get back on the WW bandwagon on Monday; I’m just not in the mood for counting points.

I have edits to do for one of my favorite clients (I have to say that because we’re related 🙂 ), but I’m dragging my feet on them. I have another set right behind them, so I really do have to make some progress! And I have my own book to power through. I’m stuck in Chapter 5 and not sure where this story is going. I need “think time” but I’m not thinking much these days. I’m ready for Christmas!

How about you? Are you procrastinating or charged up? Are you ready for Christmas/holiday fun?

Open Contests!

Enter while you can! 

1. Christmas Puzzle Contest! — Win a FREE book!
2. Flashback: The Pleasure Bot (Contest–3 Winners!) — Win a FREE book!
3. Christmas Puzzle Contest! — Win an Amazon gift card!
4. Christmas Puzzle Contest (3 Winners!) — Win a FREE book!

UPDATE: The winners are…Shirley Long, Peggy Fowler, and Carol Cox!
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It’s a silly picture, but I like it. Solve the puzzle then comment. Have fun with the challenge!

Christmas Puzzle Contest

Comment for a chance to win your choice of download from among my huge backlist of books! I’ll pick THREE WINNERS!

UPDATE: The winner is…Denise Fidler!
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It’s Saint Nicholas Day! The kids (and I, my daughter insisted) left our shoes out last night for Santa to fill. Everyone got coins and small gifts—the first year there’s been no coal (candy, that is)!! I guess I was a good girl because he left me fuzzy socks/slippers, koala Post-its-style bookmarks, a Wonder Woman pen, and candy!

I have only one gift left to buy. And I have a couple of small things left to make. My SIL is very proud of his Scottish heritage, so I thought I’d try to paint him some thistle. I tried this in gouache, but I think I’ll do it again in pastels before I decide which one to frame. Think he’ll like it? And no worries about him seeing it here. He NEVER checks out my website. 🙂

Christmas Puzzle Contest

For a chance to win your choice of download from among all my downloadable books, tell me what the little man is saying!

UPDATE: The winner is…Donna Bullard!
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Is it too soon for a picture like this? Well, was there ever a year that couldn’t end fast enough? Yeah, 2020 will be that year for lots of folks. Our family is so eager to get to the end, we put up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving!

Not that we haven’t found joy along the way this year—in our house, anyway. Yes, we’re staying home as much as possible, taking as few risks as possible. My SIL is a cop who interacts with people every day, but he’s masked and does his level best to distance. The older kids have fast-food jobs and mask. We order our groceries for pick up. The kids are online students. We make no unnecessary trips, except for the rare trip to the flea market! We are doing our part. I hope and pray everyone else does, too, so we make it through the end of this horrendous year.

And you’d think that all this self-isolation would have meant greater productivity for this hermit author—but noooo! I spend more time with family, doing family things, helping kids with homework, my dd with housework and dishes. We binge-watch TV series together. At present, we’re watching Yellowstone and The Boys.

December will be the worst for distractions. Our “Elves on the Shelf” made their appearance this weekend, so they’ll be moving all around the house every night. We have advent calendars to load nightly with goodies, and “Kriskindelnacht” coming up this weekend. Kriskindelnacht is a celebration our family adopted after two tours in Germany. On the night of the 5th, the kids put their shoes out for Santa to fill with coal if they were naughty or something cool if they were good. My dd says Santa told her that the biggest kid in the house has to leave out a shoe this year, too! 🙂 (I’m beyond thrilled!!)

Of course, there’s editing and writing to do this month, but I think I’m not going to be very ambitious. I want to enjoy this holiday season like no other because we’ll likely never have this chance to be so together again. Silver linings, folks.

So, I shared our family’s Kriskindelnacht tradition. What traditions do you observe? Share for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winners are…ALL 13 commenters!
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Gingerbear Christmas

Contest

One neat thing about writing under pen names is being able to live out different personalities. I decided to take advantage of two of mine and treat myself to two “Christmas in July” parties. As a host of each, I chose my inspirational romance persona, Revannable, and my erotic one, Michal Scott. Then I invited colleagues to send me links to their books that occurred during any winter holiday so I could share them with my social media followers. Each day I paired the books with a seasonal song.

The Preston Sturges film Christmas In July inspired me to do this. The comedy tells the story of a poor schnook who thinks he has won a slogan contest. He shares his good fortune by treating his whole neighborhood to “Christmas in July.” It stars a young non-singing Dick Powell and the entire Preston Sturges ensemble. I love picking out familiar stalwarts like William Demarest and the lesser-known, but just as recognizable, Jimmy Conlin.

Planning a party is half the fun. I delighted in choosing Christmas music for Revannable’s squeaky clean party. The joy of Christmas was heard in carols like “On the Way to Bethlehem,” “Il Est Né Le Divine Enfant (The Infant Child is Born),” and “Mi Burrito Sabanero (My Desert Donkey).” “It’s Christmas Time All Over the World” featured Sammy Davis Jr. with a chorus of kids reciting Merry Christmas in various languages.

For my friends whose stories dealt with Hanukah, I found a video of the “Dreidel Song” that brought back memories of my childhood learning to play with a dreidel in kindergarten. For those whose stories focused more on winter than a holiday, I shared Leroy Anderson’s lovely “Horse and Buggy” instead of the overplayed “Sleigh Ride.” But lest I give the impression that classic Christmas tunes weren’t welcome, I included Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra singing “White Christmas” together.

While Ole Blue Eyes and Der Bingle did the Irving Berlin classic justice at Revannable’s, things were merry and bright over at Michal Scott’s, too. Of course, the hot holiday hop had to start with Eartha Kitt’s “Santa Baby.” In the days that followed, a slew of sultry and/or double entendre-laden music sent the party from hot to sizzling. “Back Door Santa” by Clarence Carter, “Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'” by Albert King, “Dirty Christmas” by Junksista and “Holly the Holiday Whore.” Even Ella Fitzgerald in a naughty holiday mood belted out “Santa Claus Got Stuck in My Chimney.” I shook my head more than once at some of the album covers that accompanied such titles as “I’ve Got Some Presents for Santa” and “I Know Just What You Want For Christmas.” Did record stores like Virgin Atlantic and Sam Goody have adult-only sections? The fun ends on July 31^st.  Which party would you attend? Better watch out. Even in July Santa knows who’s more naughty than nice.

“Light the Fire Again” inside Fireworks

In 1896 Adelaide Hanson spent an August night beneath the Coney Island boardwalk with Hero Williams then lived with a ruined reputation while he went off to conquer the world. Two years later he returns on July 4th, a wealthy fireworks manufacturer, determined to win her back before she marries another. Will a personalized fireworks display light her fire again? And even if it does, will she let it?

Excerpt from Light the Fire Again…

Finally worn down by the rumors and the slander, Adelaide went to Reverend Johnson to arrange for a doctor to examine her to provide proof of her virginity. She’d been saving to go to an art college and hated to see her funds depleted, but her vindication would be worth it.

The examination put pay to her detractors’ misconceptions, but instead of apologizing, they showered her with condescension, especially since she still refused to say who she’d been with. Adelaide ignored the slights. She was free, Black, twenty-five and, if not virginal because of her experience with oral sex, still a virgin.

But at the end of each day alone in her rented room that fact brought her little comfort. She cried herself to sleep, unable to heal her spirit, so battered and bruised and betrayed.

Then one Sunday after church, Oscar Thompson, a member of one of Weeksville’s most prosperous and civic-minded families, asked to escort her home. Their walk turned into several months of friendship from which arose an understanding that they would become engaged.

An understanding welcomed neither by the Eligibles or Oscar’s mother.

Now the hateful reminder of why she’d lived reviled and abused had returned and was being feted like some conquering hero. They wouldn’t be so welcoming if they knew Hero had been her partner. And precisely because they wouldn’t, she’d never expose him. She wouldn’t wish what she’d endured these past two years on her worst enemy.

“Yes, folks,” Hero said, startling Adelaide from her thoughts.

She focused and found his gaze settled on her.
“Two years’ absence has been more painful than I can say,” he said.

She blenched. Holy God. Two years’ absence truly had been more than painful. For her, they’d been hell.

“It’s good to have you back home, my boy,” Reverend Johnson said, clapping a glad hand on Hero’s shoulder. “May this year’s Fourth of July celebration bring you healing to ease all that pain away.”

Adelaide bit her lip to stifle her horror. Forgiving with seventy-times-seven mercy was what Christ expected. But watching Hero receive the same forgiveness and forbearance bestowed upon her made her sick.

Buy link: https://amzn.to/2Utag6T

Follow me at:
Website: https://michalscott.webs.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/mscottauthor1
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2TSHzRn

UPDATE: The winner is…Becca B!
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I’m falling behind and behinder! Yes, things are crazy here. We have mom health issues going on, for which everyone is pitching in. My dd is leaving on a cruise, so I’m moving across the street to watch dogs and cats (11 in all—plus a Guinea Pig!). I have editing jobs lining up, one right after the other. I need to begin a new book or finish an old short story. Doesn’t matter which—I need to write words! And I’m making Christmas gifts, but not fast enough! Everything store bought is bought, but I like to add some pretties to stockings, but production is sloooooow… So, yes, holiday stress is running high.

So…I thought a puzzle would be nice. Something sweet to remind us of how it feels when the holiday finally arrives. Enjoy a moment of peace. And then, comment below, telling me what has you stressed or if you’re made of steel nerves and aren’t stressed at all! I’ll do a random pick and send the commenter the download of their choice from among my 200 releases!