It’s that time of year—regardless of what holiday, if any, you celebrate—it’s time for family traditions. I don’t have much in the way of extended family by blood, but I’ve cultivated a strong family by choice because I wanted my kids to have things I didn’t have growing up. Part of building that atmosphere was to develop traditions.

I have two major traditions that we count on this time of year. One is seeing The Nutcrackerwith my two daughters. We usually see the ballet, but every now and then, we mix it up. A couple of times we saw The Nutcrackeron horseback (the performers all ride horses and do tricks). Yes, it’s as weird as it sounds. This year, we’re going to see a hip-hop version. I’m not sure how well that’s going to go over with my youngest, who dances ballet, but she’s willing to check it out.

While seeing The Nutcracker is a tradition for my daughters, the other tradition is all mine. Every year, my best friend and I get together and bake Christmas cookies that we then give away to everyone we know. We started doing this when we were teenagers, and now, more than 30 years later, we’re still going strong. Through college, dating, first jobs, marriages, babies, divorce—you name it, we experienced it and still got together for cookie baking. It’s quite the production. We usually bake about 25 different kinds of cookie. I’m not sure how many batches total, but it’s a lot.

Over the years, our kids have all had a hand in cookie day. Unwrapping Hershey’s Kisses, rolling dough, sprinkling or decorating, and of course, sampling everything. They count on cookie day as part of their traditions, but it’s a special day for me and my best friend. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

Because of my own fractured family experiences, I’ve always been drawn to big, rambunctious families. That’s why I write what I do. I believe family gives us grounding and connection in life. Found family is as real as born family and I think my books reflect that.

I am currently re-releasing my O’Learys series about a big, Irish-American family in Chicago. Next month, the beginning of my Daring Divorcees series will launch about friends who all met in a divorce support group and are now ready for the next phase in their lives.

For a chance to win a digital copy of More Than This (O’Learys #1), leave a comment sharing your favorite tradition or your favorite cookie.

I will draw a random winner from the comments by the end of the week.

Social media links:
Web site — https://www.shannynschroeder.com
Goodreads — https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6575201.Shannyn_Schroeder
Twitter — https://twitter.com/SSchroeder_
Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/shannyn.schroeder
Book and Main Bites — https://bookandmainbites.com/Shannyn

More Than This

A sexy bartender stirs up a daily lesson plan for an adventurous teacher…

 When she discovers her ex-husband is about to be a father, Quinn Adams is on a mission. Determined to get pregnant without the commitment of a man, Quinn sets out for her own adventure. But everyone seems to think she need to focus on herself first. With a list of challenges compiled but her sister and their friend, Quinn embarks on some life-altering fun.

Her first challenge is to go on five dates within two weeks. After a few disastrous attempts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy bartender Ryan O’Leary offers his assistance. Ryan is the go-to person for everyone in his large family, so it’s natural for him to want to help Quinn. However, as they get to know each other better, friendship with Quinn isn’t enough for him. Now, it’s time for him to show her how serious the Irish can be. Will the bartender quench Quinn’s thirst by mixing up more than she ever imagined?

Buy links:

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-This-OLearys-Book-ebook/dp/B07K28MMGH/

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/more-than-this-shannyn-schroeder/1113633559?ean=2940161775912

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/more-than-this-24

Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/more-than-this/id1440685177

I want to thank Delilah for hosting me on her blog today. Now that Thanksgiving is over, talking about Christmas is officially fair game, right? 😊

Christmas is always a fun time of year for me. I live in Wisconsin, so the holidays are often accompanied by a beautiful snowfall. And I have two sons, ages ten and seven, so the excitement that goes with decorating, baking, parties, and gift exchanges is ever-present. Not that there isn’t a fair bit of chaos around the holidays as well, but I take the good with the bad!

Last year, my brother and his wife flew in from Singapore and declared that they wanted to make a family Christmas video that would serve as our holiday greeting card to extended family and loved ones that year. My brother had written an entire script, with everyone having speaking and singing roles. It ended up being quite the production and took a good chunk of time to accomplish, but it’s now in our DVD collection and is something I anticipate becoming a Christmas tradition—watching our “Family Christmas Special” on Christmas Eve and sipping hot cocoa while a fire crackles in the fireplace.

My youngest asked me what we were going to do for our Christmas video this year, and I had to laugh. I think that endeavor was a one-time thing, but it’s always fun to make memories, engage in old family traditions or create new ones.

For our family, that means spending a Saturday in December baking cookies all day with my mom, sister and nieces. Eating chocolate chip pancakes on Christmas morning before reading the story of Jesus’ birth and opening presents around the real pine Christmas tree. The kids will play with the “Activity Scene” (what they used to call the VeggieTales Nativity scene we pull out every year). And Christmas is the one day my husband puts on his baggy, bright green Grinch tee shirt—a gift from our youngest a few years ago.

What Christmas traditions do you have? Do the holidays bring you joy, or make you cringe?

Before I go, I want to share about my novella Christmas in Meadow Creek, which is a small town romance that I hope warms your heart. This sweet, uplifting story took only three weeks to write. The relationship between the main characters, Lincoln and Sarah, flowed effortlessly onto the pages. I wanted to keep the subject matter and storyline lighthearted in hopes that this story would bring a sense of love, joy, and belonging this holiday season. And since it’s a novella, it won’t take long to be drawn into the characters’ lives and watch the story unfold in this beautiful, small Wisconsin town.

Christmas in Meadow Creek

Sarah Laughlin left her big-city life and dead-end relationship behind for a fresh start as a fourth-grade teacher in the small, Wisconsin town of Meadow Creek. And it feels like home, too, despite the persistent troublemaker in her class and the lack of familiar faces. But the holidays are going to be lonely this year. Until she meets firefighter Lincoln Thompson. Suddenly, the hope of spending Christmas with someone she cares about is within reach.

Lincoln loves his home town of Meadow Creek, but ever since his long-time girlfriend left him for a better life in the city, he wonders if he’ll ever find love in this small town where everyone knows everyone. Then he meets Sarah during her class’s field trip to his firehouse, and a spark is lit. But when they discover that Sarah’s troublemaking student is none other than Lincoln’s beloved nephew, their newfound relationship is put to the test. Can they navigate through the complexities of family dynamics to find a love that will last.

Order your copy today at https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Meadow-Anaiah-Romance-Novella-ebook/dp/B07K6XLK8B/.

About the Author

Katy Eeten is the wife of a youth pastor and mother of two school-age boys. She works full-time in the business world, but her true passion is writing. She has published Contemporary Christian Romance Blast From Her Past and has another novel, A Heart Held Captive, due out next spring. Her novella Christmas in Meadow Creek just released this month. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found taking walks, baking goodies, dining out, or spending time with her family.

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatyEeten/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/KatyEeten
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatyEeten/
Website: https://katyeeten.wordpress.com/

This is the time of year where I’m especially thoughtful about all I have to be thankful for. From an author standpoint, I’m grateful that I’m rarely at a loss for writing ideas. Recently, someone asked what inspires me. I responded with a quick answer – almost everything.

By nature, I’m an inquisitive person. I love watching documentaries about history and various topics from science fiction to who killed President Kennedy to how crayons are made. It’s all so interesting, and I always find myself asking the “what if” question. What if I’ve already been kidnapped by aliens and my life is playing out in an alternative universe? What if my character finally figures out who the murderer is but the hunt culminates during a national crisis or a weather emergency? What if the bad guy commits murder by hacking into his victim’s pacemaker?

The sky is the limit on imagination, and I find inspiration in everywhere.

Music is a huge inspiration for me. I’ve attached particular songs for each of my books which  represent the theme of the book or is somehow pivotal for a specific character. I will often play that song on repeat if I’m having an especially difficult writing day or I’m working on a crucial scene. Listening to certain playlists helps me transpose the movie playing out in my head into written words.

Inspiration can come in any form. A weird cloud, the loud, unexpected boom from a construction site, an airplane taking off for parts unknown, or firetruck, siren blasting, rushing by. These everyday images have inspired me to dream and create. I get the greatest joy from creating stories springing forth from various sources of inspiration and it’s my hope that these stories can bring entertainment, intrigue, and escape to others.

The Order Series is a four-book romantic suspense series (book four is in the works now and will be released early summer 2019). The inspiration for this series came after watching a documentary on the Illuminati and Free Masons. Both of these organizations were heavily influenced by the concept of a secret society and held religious undertones. I was particularly inspired by the use of numbers and symbols, employed by both the Illuminati and Free Masons in creating a sense of mystery and maintaining an elite membership. My series is based on a cult-like organization that began with a basis in religion but transformed into a group with a quest for money and power.

What inspires you? To win a signed copy of the first book in The Order series, Order of Fear, let me know your greatest inspiration. One winner chosen at random.

The Order Series

Order of Fear

When Marissa Nash’s life is turned upside down with the death of her fiancé, she is comforted by the friendship of the would be best man, Justin Tanner. But as Marissa and Justin grow closer, they soon discover they’ve fallen into a wicked web of lies and danger.

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Fear-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01ENW8ZCU/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/order-of-fear/id1107420740?mt=11
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/order-of-fear
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/631896
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158181658

 

Order of Malice

Reid Patterson plans to join the FBI hoping to right the wrongs of The Order, a sinister faction controlled by his family. When he meets Holly Babson, a child psychologist, sparks fly as they both must deal with past hurts and fresh danger.

https://www.amazon.com/Order-Malice-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07318J71Y/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/order-of-malice/id1255377368?mt=11 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/order-of-malice
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/731433
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158932281

 

Order of Rage

Carson Maxwell escapes the grip of her family’s insidious organization, The Order, and carefully crafts a new life as a medical researcher in Boston. When her identity is exposed and she meets Adam Forrester, FBI agent, her life careens off course again, delivering her and Adam into the clutches of the very people Carson ran from.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CVQWRS7/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/order-of-rage/id1391242682?ls=1&mt=11 https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/order-of-rage
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/834566
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940162128151

 

Let’s Connect!

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My birthday was a week ago today, but I’m still celebrating. I tend to make it a festival, a birthday fest, as it were. I figure another year alive is more than reason enough to celebrate. I’ll take myself out for breakfast one day and lunch on another. I’ll see a movie and go to one of my favorite stores and buy myself something…besides a new book, although buying a new book is always a good idea.

I write paranormal books, which got me to thinking. The number of birthdays I’ll have in my lifetime is finite, but that’s not the case with many of my characters. I’ve written werewolves, who live for about double a human lifespan. That’s not immortal, but it’s still pretty darn good. I’ve also written about vampires, who will survive as long as they drink blood.

Then there are my drakons, the hybrid sons of full-blooded dragons and human women. They have no idea how long they’ll live, although they’ve already been around for four thousand years and show no sign of aging. They may well live forever. I wonder what birthdays must be like after living all those years. Do they even mark the day? Do they even know the day? Back when they were born records of such events weren’t as meticulously kept as they are now.

That’s what it’s like in the mind of a writer. My thoughts wander down these paths asking questions most people never consider. I love my job.

Whether my drakons celebrate with cake and presents or if they just let the day of their birth pass by like so many other days before, I don’t know. But I do know that there is a new drakon book in my series, just released on November 26th.

Even if it’s not your birthday, you might like to treat yourself.

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 Today bestselling 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

Researching the Civil War can be rewarding and fascinating. I particularly like to dig through the annals of history in search of information about women who lived through this turbulent and very bloody time.

Before the war, elite southern society considered their wives and women, in general, no better or no worse than their black slaves. At birth, girls became the property of their fathers (mothers had no ‘legal’ claim to their children). When they married, women became the property of their husbands, and so did any land or valuables they might have owned prior to that marriage. Their marital position placed them in charge of a household that catered to the needs of their “white family and their husband’s slaves”.

Before marriage, women were not expected to need much of an education because most married at a young age and spent the rest of their lives engaged in domestic work. After marriage, the fear of continued pregnancy gave them cause for worry as many of them died in childbirth.

Despite some of the gloomy statistics of how Southern women were regarded in society, many stepped out of their standard roles and excelled in situations far beyond their educations or knowledge when Civil War came to their towns. There are countless stories of women serving as nurses in make-shift hospitals, women making three hundred uniforms in one month for their particular army, and women inventing artificial limbs and medicinal concoctions for wounded soldiers. Although rare, some women even disguised themselves and served as soldiers in both the Confederate and Union armies.

But there was another type of soldier who proved to be more relevant and effective for both the Cause and the Union. These women were spies. They wore hoop skirts for a uniform, and their arsenal included charm, grace, and guile. Female spies performed a very valuable service to the war effort regardless of which side they spied for.

One of the most famous was Belle Boyd—beautiful, educated, and quite daring. She was the daughter of a Virginia tobacco plantation owner. One of the elite in Southern society, she became a war agent at the age of seventeen when she shot and killed a Northern soldier as he attacked her mother. That daring act was followed by many others after she was appointed courier for Generals Beauregard and Jackson. Her autobiography, Belle Boyd, in Camp and Prison, recounted stories of her dangerous deeds which spanned a period of nearly three years.

Belle once rode thirty miles overnight with news of a Yankee attack, and her successful mission was responsible for saving many confederate lives, but not without a personal attack upon her character. The Northern press labeled her a “village courtesan” who gained her secrets through “sexual conduct.” Belle was not discouraged but continued to gather vital information for the South. She used her feminine innocence to obtain the battle plan that allowed Jackson’s troops to capture Front Royal, Virginia. A Union major complained that Belle Boyd had done more damage to the Union than half the men of the Confederacy. Six times, she had been captured, sometimes imprisoned for months but often released. She was certainly an example of a Southern lady who made a difference through her role in the Civil War.

The heroine in Land of Falling Stars, Sophia Whitfield, is not a spy, but like many women of the time, she suffers drastic repercussions when the Civil War came to Fredericksburg, VA. I think the blurb sums up perfectly Sophia’s life as she struggles to save her beloved childhood home, Arbor Rose.

Land of Falling Stars

The United States is torn asunder by Civil War.

Two men, linked together by their love for one woman, Sophia Whitfield, answer the call of duty.

An arranged marriage to Jesse James Grantham has been in the works since Sophia and Jesse were children. When he leaves to fight for his beloved South, he promises Sophia they’ll whip those Johnny Rebs in no time and when he returns, they’ll get married under her mother’s rose arbor.

Sophia’s best friend from childhood, Gavin Langdale, enlists to fight for the North. Why does she feel as if he’s taking her heart with him the day he leaves for war? She loves Jesse…doesn’t she?

After Sophia’s parents die in a fire, she struggles to save Arbor Rose. Most of the slaves have run off, the South is in tatters and so is the only home she’s ever known. Another bluecoat is staggering down the hill, coming to steal the last of her meager possessions. Before the hated enemy has a chance to commit the vilest of acts, she shoots him.

And then discovers its Gavin, the champion of her youth.

Dark secrets lurk in Gavin’s memory, secrets much darker than the despicable acts of war. He carries a message for Sophia, a missive from Jesse. When he finds the courage to tell her what really happened to Jesse on that bloody battlefield, she’ll hate him—hate him until she draws her last breath.

A powerful story of lies, betrayal and a love that burns brighter than all the stars in Heaven.

****

What reviewers are saying about Land of Falling Stars

“Land of Falling Stars lured me in immediately with its lyrical title and instantly captivated me with the haunting love story of Gavin and Sophia.”

“The author pens a story that is unlike any other. Land of Falling Stars makes you believe in the possibility of retribution and the hope of finding your brass ring in the last place you look.”

“Diablo has penned a beautiful and haunting love story full of passion, deception, danger. Land of Falling Stars will leave you breathless and longing for more!”

****

If you’d like to read more about the Civil War and Sophia and Gavin’s haunting love story, you can buy Land of Falling Starsfor 99 cents for a limited time.  Available on all venues here: https://books2read.com/FallingStars

****

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If you had told me five years ago, “Carol, you’re going to self-publish books, create short stories for competitions, and write a few magazine articles,” I would have had trouble believing it. I did write creatively now and then. I never considered it as a serious venture.

Occasionally, I would have flights of fancy, composing poems and plays. I was enamored of an early 70s television show, a western with handsome guys in the lead roles, Alias Smith and Jones. I wrote an episode. I even included timing for commercial breaks in the 30 minute show, but it was only for me. I never considered submitting it. I was just a kid too.

So, how did I start writing seriously? One day, about four years ago, I was using the computer doing the usual thing—researching on the Internet and checking out social media. Then, something hit me, metaphorically speaking. I wanted to create a book. The desire seemed to just come out of the blue.

For now, where my books are concerned, I do everything myself—from start to finish including cover design. It’s a lot of work, but incredibly rewarding when your concept comes into being.

Resonance is my first romance, and it has a time travel twist.

There’s a lot of me in Bea, one of my protagonists. We both love music—in particular the classic rock of the 70s and 80s and enjoy art museums. In fact, the art museum in the book is based on the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond where I’m a frequent visitor.

She and I jump at the chances to sail on ships and boats. We love going to festivals that feature tall ships—those grand, masted ladies of the sea and checking out the artisans who usually attend the events.

This past July, I was honored to be able to sail on the frigate USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” on her turn around cruise. I got to explore every inch of her open to the public. Members of the crew, in historical uniforms, gave interesting presentations throughout the ship about the dangerous life on a warship in the “old days.” We landlubbers also got to see sailors demonstrate how to load a cannon. When it came time to fire, they shouted out a hearty “BOOM”—so much fun. Talk about being in heaven.

Constitution was never defeated in battle, and stepping onto her deck was awe-inspiring. She’s still a commissioned ship in the United States Navy.

I’d love it if you read a sample of Resonance and dropped me a line too. I’m always interested in what you have to say and any questions you may have. Don’t be a stranger.

Resonance

Bea is never lucky in love. There’s always something missing sooner or later. No man has ever been able to end the emptiness plaguing her. She’s just about ready to stop torturing herself with the possibilities–destined to live the rest of her life unfulfilled.

Enjoying a girls’ day out with her best friend, Bea discovers an old record album by her all-time favorite rock band. Why is she thrilled and enchanted by Maximilian’s face gazing up at her? He didn’t hold that power over her in the past, and he died ten years ago.

That night, researching him on the Internet well into the wee hours, she learns Maximilian never found his lasting love.

Bea decides to enter her birth date and his into her trusted astrology site for a compatibility report. The results slash through her already wounded heart.

Bea and Maximilian are soul mates! How is this possible? He’s gone. Any hope of finding that one enduring flame is gone with him. Or, is it?

Would time be willing to give Bea and Maximilian another chance?

Get your copy here!

www.carolsmithwrites.com

Many thanks to Delilah for the opportunity to guest blog. I enjoyed it.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Every Tuesday night from September through March or April, I escape from whatever is going on in my life to the world of classical music. I am a founding member of the Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida, now in our tenth year. During the weekly rehearsals, I am so focused on what I am singing that problems recede.

Fresh out of high school, I had entered college as a music major. Alas, my working-class background hadn’t allowed for private lessons, so I was at a disadvantage compared to other students. I might have overcome that drawback if I hadn’t also been homesick in the extreme. I quickly dropped out. When I made my second attempt at college, I became an English major. That made a lot more sense. Music as a profession didn’t work out, but since then I have taken every opportunity to make music with one group or another as a volunteer.

Each year, the Chorale self-produces three concerts and sings twice with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. It was during one of the joint concerts that the idea for my latest book came to me. I was sitting on stage, waiting to begin Mozart’s Requiem. Out of the wings strode the symphony’s conductor, an exceedingly charismatic man of Italian heritage. Presto! Lorenzo Moretti, the hero of my book was born.

This particular concert took place during the height of the #MeToo movement, and my book Making Time with the Maestro begins with Lorenzo being unjustly accused. My heroine, the young woman who has just been hired to do PR by his opera company, quickly clears his name. To avoid any reprises of this situation, they enter into a fake engagement. I submitted Maestro to two publishers and am eagerly awaiting replies.

In the meantime, I am working on the fourth book in my self-published Calusa Town Tales series. It is set in my fictionalized version of the island where I actually live.

You can find more information about the Calusa books at https://www.amazon.com/Calusa-Town-Tales-3-Book/dp/B07D4JF1D5/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1541786736&sr=8-5&keywords=calusa+town+tales&dpID=D1qVajexvSS&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch and find out when the Maestro will be published at www.RusticatingintheTropics.com.