I love this time of year—the music, the colored lights, the tree, the holiday movies, and the excitement. Like most families, we have various traditions that have changed or evolved over the years. But one tradition that never changes is my mother’s fruit cake.

Yes, I said it. Fruit cake. We’re big on this holiday staple in my family and all of us would feel slighted if our mother didn’t make us one of her amazing cakes. Heck, when I was a kid, I used to ask for one for my birthday every year. Mom would make a fruit cake for the family celebration and a vanilla one for the party with my friends. I don’t know what makes hers so special. Maybe it’s the love. All I know is Christmas wouldn’t be the same without it.

Another tradition is chocolate fudge, but not just any fudge. I use the same recipe my mother used when I was a kid. It’s fast, easy, and delicious. I share it every year, but it has the seal of approval of six decades behind it.

Five Minute Fudge
(From the Carnation Milk Cookbook)

2/3 cup of Carnation milk
1 2/3 cups of sugar

~Bring sugar and milk to a boil and boil on low heat for 5 minutes. Stir constantly. Remove from heat.

Add:

1 ½ cups chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet dark chips)
1 ½ cups of plain mini marshmallows (I use Kraft minis)
1 tsp of vanilla flavouring

Stir until smooth and pour into greased 8” X 8” pan.

Cool and cut into squares.

A tradition that was lost for some decades was chocolate making. It’s labor intensive but such fun.  My brother, sister-in-law, and I revived it and have made chocolates for the past several years. It’s not only fun to revive cherished family traditions, it’s yummy too.

This time of year can be hectic with holiday preparations—decorating, baking, shopping—not to mention the parties and get-togethers. So often, when the holidays arrive, many of us are too tired to enjoy it. It doesn’t have to be that way. It shouldn’t be that way. Do yourself a favor and turn off the computer, put down the phone, and take some time to breathe. Go for a walk. If you walk in the evening, you can enjoy the festive lights. Sit in front of the tree and enjoy it. Watch a favorite holiday show with your family. Don’t let the season pass by in a blur. Being present is better than any store-bought gift you could give your loved ones.

However you spend the holiday season, I wish you and yours a Happy Holiday, Happy Yule, and a very Merry Christmas! ~ N.J.

Check out N.J.’s Lone Wolf Legacy Series

Lone Wolf Legacy Series:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTKCDR77/

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, assassins, 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 her at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

I can’t believe in all these years that I’ve never created a reading journal. I also didn’t anticipate having to make so many decisions. So, for anyone interested in a reading journal, let’s get into it.

What is a reading journal, and why would a person want to create one?

Most people think of a reading journal as a tool to keep track of the books one has read. However, it can be so much more. A reading journal can also track how much time one spends reading, favorite authors, books summaries, reading challenges, insights gained and reflections, recommendations, and future books to read, book club notes, and noting reading goals.

What materials are needed to create a reading journal?

It doesn’t take much to create a basic reading journal, but it depends on the person creating it and what he/she wants to track in it. In reality, all a person needs to begin is a notebook and pen. Or if the person prefers an electronic/digital journal, he/she would need a computer/tablet and a word document program. It is the personalization that makes reading journals different.

Some people like to print a small photo of book covers to include. Others have pages that with drawn bookshelves and label in books. Some people prefer having uniform pages with set categories and/or labels (e.g., author name, genre, number of pages, date began, etc.) while other prefer to stick to writing the name of the book and a summary. Some people like having bound journals while others like spiral or disc-bound. Yet, others draw, use stickers, doodle, and create collages to decorate pages. For people who read a lot, they may select larger journals with more pages (e.g., square journal 8” x 8”, B5, or disc-bound with expander discs). Readers who tend to read few books in a year may opt for a smaller journal such as an A5 or a skinny traveler journal. Additionally, some people prefer setting up blank bullet journals to make them completely custom while others may purchase reading journals already set up. There is no right or wrong.

When I decided I wanted to do a reading journal, I had planned to purchase one from Kell of a Plan. I knew I wanted disc-bound to be able to easily remove and add pages. However, I wrestled with if I wanted the entire planner. I knew many of the sections I would not use. The other option was to purchase the refill pages and create my own, which meant needing discs, covers, and dividers. By the time I decided how I wanted it, unfortunately both the planner and the tracking pages were sold out. To date, neither has been restocked. So, I went to option B which was to purchase from Rongrong. I had the same dilemma, as I knew many of the included sections I would not use, and I wasn’t sold on all of the dashboard/cover themes. To create what I wanted was becoming expensive. I was bummed, but all wasn’t lost.

I use disc-bound planners for my work and personal life. In the fall of 2023, I had purchased a set of dividers and a notebook that were on sale. It wasn’t until I began setting up my planner lineup for 2025, that I used them…kinda. When I purchased my 2025 planners, I did some switching of covers, discs, and dividers. The short of it is I have materials that I can use to create a reading journal, although, it will not include the preprinted information sheets I want. This means I will need to create them myself.

What are some categories to include in a reading journal?

• Book log/tracker (book title, author, date began reading, date finished reading, rating, etc.)
• A rating scale (can be used for overall enjoyment, spice level, etc.)
• Book summary
• Book review
• Book of the month
• Favorite books
• Favorite authors
• Favorite quotes
• Favorite book character
• Book goal (how many books you plan/want to read)
• Book total (how many books you read in week, month, year, etc.)
• Book budget (cost of books)
• Length of time read each day
• Who recommended the book
• Number of DNFs (how many books you did not finish)
• TBR list (purchased books that you haven’t read)
• Book wishlist (books that you want to read)
• Page total (how many pages you read in day, week, month, year)
• Type of book medium (e.g., audio, e-book, paperback, hardback, etc.)
• Book genres read (e.g., historical, regency, thriller, romance, fantasy, etc.)
• Book club books
• Reading challenges
• Reading bucket list

Well, that’s all I got. Was this post helpful? Do you have a reading journal? If not, do you think you will buy or create one? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. If you like this post, please click the like button and share. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read.

Demon Rodeo

If Brokeback Mountain, 8 Seconds, Poltergeist, and Supernatural had an orgy, Demon Rodeo would be the lovechild.

Demon Rodeo is available now on Amazon. For video book trailers, visit my TikTok page. The full blurb is on my Instagram and Amazon.

Demon Rodeo is the first book in the Chasing the Buckle series but can be read as a standalone. It’s a friends-to-lovers romance set in the rodeo world. These are not your typical cowboys. It’s a widely diverse cast of characters and a mashup of genres that aren’t always seen together. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser, this may be a book for you.

Order
⇨ Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/4174852
⇨ All Stores: https://books2read.com/u/bP8RG7

Until next time, happy reading and much romance. Laissez le bon temps rouler.

If you’re not following my blog, Creole Bayou, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.

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Want to chat about writing, mental health, Cajun cuisine, Creole culture, or just spill some tea? If yes, let’s get connected. Follow me on one of my social links. There’s plenty to choose from.

• Facebook: Genevive Chamblee
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LOCKER ROOM LOVE

Locker Room Love Series

Are you searching for a sexy book boyfriend? You’ve come to the right place.

• Out of the Penalty Box (book #1) One minute in the box or a lifetime out.
• Defending the Net (book #2) Crossing the line could cost the game.
• Ice Gladiators (book #3) When the gloves come off, the games begin.
• Penalty Kill (book #4) Let the pucker begin.
• Future Goals (book #5) The future lies between a puck and a net.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Genevive, and I am a contemporary sports romance author. My home is in South Louisiana. If you like snark and giggles with a touch of steamy Cajun and Creole on the side, I may have your poison in my stash of books. Drop by the bayou and have a look around. The pirogues are always waiting for new visitors.

So, maybe medieval paranormal isn’t your thing. How about erotic romance? An alpha male? A woman in captivity? Secrets kept? Do those tropes appeal? Then this novella will be one you’ll want to gobble up!

After awakening in a castle, bound and at the mercy of her captor, Voletta has every reason to fear the mysterious man holding her in his arms. Instead, his brooding presence intrigues her, and his hard body excites her. However attracted she is, she must escape before he discovers her dark secret…but then she learns he has one of his own.

Order your copy now!

Opening scene of The Demon Lord’s Cloak…

“We’ll all be dead by morning.” Martin’s voice quavered as he emptied another glass of Frau Sophie’s precious peach schnapps.

“Who’d have guessed it’d be nigh on impossible to find a virgin in this valley?” his companion said.

“Pah! Even my own daughter,” Martin moaned. “What’s the world coming to, Edgard? Young women giving themselves like barmaids…”

Edgard’s shoulders slumped. “I tell you it was the last May Day celebration. The bürgermeister should never have let Sophie provide the drink.”

“We should have locked every last one of the unmarried maidens in a cellar.”

“Well, no use grousing.” Martin set down his glass. “We have a problem. Now’s the time for clear thinking.”

“There’s no solution. The village will disappear, swallowed by Hell itself when we fail to provide his bride.” Edgard’s reddened eyes widened. “Couldn’t we mount a raid on Fulkenstein down the valley…take a girl or two…”

“There’s no time left. We only had the new moon to give that devil his due. It ends tomorrow night. We’d never be back in time.”

Edgard shook his head, sighing. “We’ve failed. Daemonberg will be no more. Best get the women packing tonight so we can flee come morning. A thousand years of prosperity and health–gone for the lack of a single maidenhead.”

“We’re doomed, I tell you.” Martin lifted the schnapps bottle and tilted it over his glass. He gave it a shake, and then slammed it down on the table. Turning toward the bar, he shouted, “Sophie, liebchen, bring us another bottle, will you?”

As he turned back to his friend, he saw a woman step through the doorway of the inn. Her beauty arrested him–far prettier than any of the strapping blonde women of the village, this one was slender, delicate, with deep reddish hair that glinted like fire in the torchlight, rather like the bay he’d bid on and lost at an auction in early spring.

He elbowed Edgard beside him. “Look there.”

Both men turned to stare at the young woman entering.

“Where’s her escort?” Edgard whispered.

“She looks wary. I’d wager she’s on her own.”

They shared a charged glance, shoulders straightening.

“What do you suppose the chances are she’s a virgin?” Edgard asked softly.

“She’s beyond fair. What man would care whether he was her first just so long as he’s her last? Besides, what other options have we?”

Sophie slammed another bottle in the center of the table and gave them a scathing glance. “If you go home to your wives legless with drink, I’ll not take the blame.”

“We’ll have just one more glass,” Martin assured her, reaching around to pat her rump. “For the road. We’ve business to attend.”

Sophie rolled her eyes and turned, her ample hips rolling as she walked across the room to greet the young woman who waved her away.

“If they only knew the solemn duty we perform,” Martin whispered. “They’d call us heroes.”

Only they could never tell a soul. That too was part of their sacred oath, handed down from father to son.

Edgard poured them both another drink, then lifted his glass. “To another hundred years of peace and wealth.”

Martin lifted his glass with one hand and crossed himself with the other. “To the fair maiden with the red hair—God rest her soul.”

Are you still adjusting to the time shift? It’s lighter earlier, but that also means it gets darker earlier in the evening. Oh, let’s be real! By five o’clock, you have to turn on the lights. One of the benefits of chilly autumn evenings is the opportunity to curl up with a good book…or even better, a great series.

USA Today bestselling author Desiree Holt published close to 300 titles across multiple genres, including military romantic suspense, contemporary, western, sports, and paranormal romance. Her legacy includes the bestselling Phoenix Agency series.

If you haven’t escaped into this thrilling world of military heroes and the women they love, start with Color of Darkness, a free short story in the Phoenix Agency world.

The Phoenix Agency

They served their country in every branch of the military—army Delta Force, SEALs, air force, marines. They are pilots, snipers, medics—whatever the job calls for. And now as civilians they serve in other capacities, as private consultants training security for defense contractors, as black-ops combatants eradicating drug dealers, as trained operatives ferreting out traitors.

With the women in their lives, each of whom have a unique psychic ability, they are a force to be reckoned with. And now, risen from the ashes of war, they will commit to continue fighting the battle on all fronts. No challenge is too great, no situation to unimportant. They will come together to form a unit that gives new breath to their mission in life.

They are Phoenix.

Jungle Inferno
Extrasensory
Scent of Danger
Freeze Frame
Feel the Heat
Formula for Danger
Unexpected Risk
Color of Darkness
Phoenix Rises

Available on Amazon

UPDATE: The winner is…Beckie!
*~*~*

I’m posting the puzzle-contest early because tomorrow’s a special day for our family.

It’s the first day of November! Can you believe it’s already here? I can’t. This year flew by. I can’t say I’m sorry 2024 is drawing to a close. I’m ready for what’s next. I also look forward to the holiday season. I have some of my Christmas list covered already, but I have to pull out everything I have stuffed in closets to see what’s left to acquire. My daughter has a shelf in the pantry already filling up with things for the Thanksgiving meal. We decorate for Christmas early because my dd loves-loves-loves decorating and likes to see it for longer than a month, so she’s been gathering new things to add—another tree, good Lord! I love to watch her and the girls with boxes filling the living room as they hang ornaments and set up little houses with lights. It’s nuts how much “stuff” we have.

So, I’m happy it’s November. There’s so much to look forward to—Thanksgiving, the start of Advent, Krampus Day, St. Nicklaus Day (we love setting out our shoes!), Christmas, New Years! Our family loves any excuse for a celebration. This season is our favorite!

How about you? Solve the puzzle, then share what you’re looking forward to during this holiday season for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card! 

A Reminder!

Looking for a sexy read, featuring a lonely, taciturn lord of the manor? 

Coming November 12th!
Free in KU!
Pre-order now!

UPDATE: The winner is…Beth!
*~*~*

October

1. I wrote zero words! Zero! I didn’t even revise anything I’ve written, although I have a book coming out soon that needs it!
2. I completed 3 editing projects for other authors in October.
3. Still, with so little productivity, I feel like I climbed mountains.

Health-related:

1. I underwent my third round of chemo and noted how I felt during the days after so I could try to figure out how to work around the chemo schedule. The fatigue continues to be the worst part. My 4th round, which was to start on the 28th, was canceled due to my extremely low platelet count. The chemo-induced anemia is kicking my butt. The aches only last a few days. My white blood count takes a beating, too, but the shots they give me after chemo bring it up quickly. They are going to adjust one of the medicines they give me to try to address the platelet issue.
2. I’m maintaining my 20 pounds weight loss.
3. I’m losing muscle tone. I know I need to add some sort of exercise to my schedule on days when I can get around, but I’ve just been so tired I tend to sleep a lot.
4. I had a CT scan with contrast yesterday. The “shadow” they previously saw on my spine is gone. The nodule on my liver is gone. They see reduction in the thickness of my omentum and the sizes of the tumors in my ovaries and uterus. I won’t know any numbers until next Monday. But progress! 🙂

Happiness-related: 

1. The family has been wonderful, doing takeout and watching movies nearly weekly, so we have family “events” to share.
2. I didn’t paint a thing this month. No drive at all. It’s like the writing—anything that requires imagination takes too much energy.

November

   

1. To revise, format, and upload The Demon Lord’s Cloak for its release on November 12th.
2. To complete Ignition, the fourth book in the Delta Fire series during November’s NaNoWriMo.
3. To complete 4 editing projects in November!
4. To write at least 1/4 of Built Like Mack during NaNoWriMo.
5. My writing goals may be pie-in-the-sky goals, given I have two bouts of chemo sceduled for the month, but I have to shoot for something.

For health related, I plan:

1. To go through two more rounds of chemo, which when I look at my calendar seems overwhelming, but I’ll get through it.
2. To continue to watch what I eat and hope I can manage to drop a few more pounds.
3. To up my physical activities so that I don’t lose any more muscle. Maybe I’ll give myself stairstep goals or walk the driveway to the gate and back goals—on days when I’m not sick as a dog.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To fiddle in my art room!
2. Attend the local art guild’s Potluck Dinner.
3. To spend time with the family—movies, meals, and flea market adventures! I’m not overly ambitious.
4. Enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas decorating with the family!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in November…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

I’m offering two stories: a short story and a short novel. You can get both if you like! Just click on the covers to get your copies!
This offer ends November 1st!