Sky Purington's Blog, page 39

Celebrating Christmas in a Culturally Blended Family. Masha Holl's, The Joining.

Happy December 1st! Welcome to A Writer’s Mind’s, WHAT EVERY WOMAN WANTS BENEATH HER CHRISTMAS TREE blog event. It’s my pleasure to welcome over author Masha Holl to share a little bit of her unique holiday with us. Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win an eCopy of Masha’s story, The Joining.

YULETIDE NOTE: I encourage you to leave a comment for a chance to win each featured author's given prize (Include email addy). Their individual winners will be announced in a comment after their post. In addition, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter provided after each post as often as you like for a chance to win the grand prize, three $30 Amazon Gift Cards, 12+ ebooks and over six print novels. Three winners drawn and announced December 26th, 2012. Click on 'Ready to be Served?' at the top of this blog to find the itinerary.

Let’s hear from Masha…

Christmas is not a simple matter, especially in a culturally blended family. It can be complicated enough, even these days, when Old World and New World mix and we try to recreate childhood recipes and experiences for the next generation. But when East and West collide it gets really interesting.

And I don’t mean the farthest East – as in Asia, but merely Eastern Europe, Eastern Christianity, and their own traditions. And Western Europe, namely Germanic and Anglo-Saxon, because those are the ones that prevail in the United States.

There was a time when it was indeed simple: my family gathered on Christmas day, and I had no questions and no doubts as to what that day was, or what we would do. We had a tree all set up at home, with bright decorations and lights. There was Christmas Vespers (because there’s no Midnight service on Christmas in the Eastern Orthodox Church), and then all my brothers and sisters (and then their wives and husbands, and later all my nephews and nieces) would trickle into our home. There would be food, of the Lenten kind – no meat, but lots of fish dishes, and salads, and bread, because Christmas Eve was still a fasting day and no animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) were eaten. There would, however, be wine and cheer and jokes, and loud celebration with many rounds of toasts to everyone’s health, including absent friends and relatives living in Russia.

Then there would be dessert, including the three poppy-seed sweets I still associate with Christmas: the rolled poppyseed bread, the bite-size rolls soaked in a poppyseed, nuts,  and honey sauce, and kut’ia, the traditional southern-Russian dish served only on Christmas Eve, Epiphany, and at wakes. It’s a sweet dish made of  boiled wheat, nuts, raisins, and a poppyseed and honey sauce.

Yes, my childhood Christmas was a sweet poppyseed time.

Dessert was also the time to open the presents. As far back as I can remember, there were presents that came from specific members of the family, and then there were presents “from Santa” (or rather from “Grandfather Frost” – Ded Moroz). These were often the biggest and best ones, and no one ever admitted to providing them (and I never did manage to see who put them under the tree), even long after I ceased to believe in supernatural gift-givers.

And it didn’t matter at all that we were 13 days behind the rest of the country, that they were celebrating Epiphany and the visitation of the Three Kings. We were on Orthodox time and it was Christmas time for us, on January 7.

Now that I’ve crossed the Ocean, like a Pilgrim, and put down roots in the New World, I still manage to have a bit of a poppyseed Christmas, but my celebration has doubled. I married a Westerner who celebrates Christmas with the Western world, on December 25th. We have our big tree, and our presents, and our family gathered around grinning and opening our presents first thing on Christmas morning – even the dog gets a new toy to gnaw on, so he doesn’t get tempted to pounce on new human toys.

But on January 7th, we still have our tree up, and we still celebrate Russian Christmas, well aware that all our Russian relatives are gathered in their own homes, probably not all together anymore now that my grandparents are gone, but with ever-expanding families. 

Masha, fascinating post! Honestly, I learned a lot from it. For starters, I had no idea Russian Christmas was on January 7th! Thank you so much for sharing with us. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas… or two. :-)

THE JOINING

Erik has no memories that go back more than five years, and no one knows how he's lost them. No memories, no prejudices, and an empathic ability. It makes him the perfect diplomat for the Space Guild. But when the alien woman he saves from an explosion in space opens a crack in his past, she may also hand him a key to a new future.

Purchase The Joining at The Wild Rose Press , Amazon and Barnes & Noble .

Visit Masha at her Website and  http://ottercreations.com

Don't forget to comment for a chance to win The Joining. After that, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win even more!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c587a91/

Kindle Fire 3G?! MERRY CHRISTMAS from Caroline Clemmons, author of SNOWFIRES.

Welcome to A Writer’s Mind’s, WHAT EVERY WOMAN WANTS BENEATH HER CHRISTMAS TREE blog event!  Today it’s my pleasure to welcome over wonderfully talented author, Caroline Clemmons to share a little holiday cheer with us. Caroline is graciously away an eCopy of Snowfires. And just look what's up for grabs at her blog!!!

YULETIDE NOTE: I encourage you to leave a comment for a chance to win each featured author's given prize (Include email addy). Their individual winners will be announced in a comment after their post. In addition, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter provided after each post as often as you like for a chance to win the grand prize, three $30 Amazon Gift Cards, 12+ ebooks and over six print novels. Three winners drawn and announced December 26th, 2012. Click on 'Ready to be Served?' at the top of this blog to find the itinerary.

Let’s hear from Caroline…

Ho, ho ho! I hope you’re looking forward to all the things you want under your tree this Christmas.

What’s better on a wintry day than curling up with the one you love? I’m so happy you asked. When the weather outside is frightful, all I want is to snuggle with my sweetie, my favorite beverage, and a sizzling book. If you feel the same way, I have a book to suggest, just as you knew I would!

First, let me tell you how I came to write SNOWFIRES. One year, my Hero and I took our children to visit our family in West Texas. When we had to stay an extra day due to an unusually heavy snow, our kids were delighted. Hero and I, not so much. Although my husband is a wonderful driver, people in this area are often inexperienced at driving in snow and present a hazard to everyone in their path. No snowplows because there aren’t that many blizzards. We have to wait for the DOT sand trucks. In heavy snow, we wait for the county road graders to push the snow off the rural roads.

Writers just can’t help playing “what if” with ideas. On our way home that trip, we passed many isolated areas. I wondered what would happen if someone had car trouble or became marooned in a storm? Even in good weather, cell phone service is often spotty in the ranching areas of West Texas. In bad weather, it’s non-existent. Rural electric and telephone lines fail under heavy snow and ice. Better and better, right? By that, I mean worse and worse for the characters. The more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea became.

For SNOWFIRES, I came up with a hero and heroine who didn’t agree on anything, but were forced to work together. Then, I managed to isolate them in a blizzard on a small West Texas ranch whose owners were not home the Sunday after Thanksgiving. And I complicated the couple’s lives as much as possible. Bwahahaha.

Once they returned to Dallas, I forced them to endure working together. Writers love to make their characters suffer. After all, we want them to earn their happiness, don’t we? The book ends on Christmas Eve. Oops, guess I shouldn’t have let you know that part.

The cover is special because it reminds me of the night my husband and I were married. There were a couple of feet of snow on the ground and a bright, full moon overhead. Of course it was gorgeous and memorable, and we still mention it today. But then, we’re both romantics at heart.

Here’s the blurb for SNOWFIRES:

A blizzard can’t quench the fiery heat of passionate attraction. Penny only intends to worry Trent and delay them a couple of hours, not get them lost in the worst blizzard in decades. A snowstorm can’t keep them apart once their passions ignite.  Penny Tucker believes Trent Macleod will ruin her family’s business now that he’s acquired her late father’s shares. Not only that, she fears he’s responsible for her father’s fatal heart attack. She’ll stop this corporate pirate any way she can. If only she can tame her hormones when he’s around. He believes she’s a spoiled and pampered woman. Little does he know how wrong he is. Pampered by her grandparents, yes, but she carries all the responsibility for her stepmother and two stepsisters--as she did when her father was alive. Only Penny’s constant juggling of family finances covers her stepmother’s excessive spending. That and the fact Penny actually works in the family business.

Trent started with nothing and saved most of his life for this one big chance. After battling all his life against bad foster parents, crooks, and the press, he is determined no one will defeat him, not even Penny. How can she still believe her father was such a great guy? Trent doesn’t know why she is so opposed to every thing he suggests for the company. Does a guy from nowhere stand a chance with a society princess like Penny? He prays he does, because he can’t get her out of his dreams, day or night. What will it take for him to achieve happily-ever-after with Penny?

I hope you’ll want to read SNOWFIRES. Available at Amazon Kindle and Smashwords .

I hope you’ll join me on my own blog,  http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com , where you can sign up for Caroline’s Occasional Newsletter and be entered to win a Kindle Fire 3G on December 15th, 2012.

Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Caroline Clemmons Romance

Twitter at @CarolinClemmons (no E in Caroline)

Thanks to Sky for hosting me at her beautiful blog. Thank you for reading. 

Sky here. Caroline, what a wonderful post! It's so true that we writer's are always asking 'what if'. I do it all the time. *grins* And what a setting you and your husband had when you got married. I love it! Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas.

Readers, don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win Caroline's giveaway and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win even more!

THEN, once you've wrapped up here, be sure to head over to  CAROLINE'S BLOG and sign up for her Newsletter to be entered to WIN a Kindle Fire 3G on December 15'th!!!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c587a91/

What is Real? What is Illusory? The Transformation Series by Ann Gimpel.

Today it’s my pleasure to feature Ann Gimpel, author of The Transformation Series. The Transformation Series is about finding out who we truly are when the chips are down. About what is real and what is illusory. About what matters and what doesn’t. It’s easy to show our best side when everything is going well. How about when the world is disintegrating around us? What happens then?
Psyche’s Prophecy
Book One of the Transformation Series
By Ann Gimpel
What if your psychotherapist could really see into your soul?  Picture all those secrets lying hidden, perhaps squirming a bit, just out of view.  Would you invite your analyst to take a peek behind that gossamer curtain?  Read your aura?  Scry your future…?

Classically trained at the Jung Institute in Zurich, Doctor Lara McInnis has a special gift that helps her with her patients.  Born with “the sight” she can read auras, while flirting with a somewhat elusive ability to foretell the future.  Lara becomes alarmed when several of her patients—and a student or two—tell her about the same cataclysmic dream. 

Reaching out to the Institute for answers, Lara’s paranormal ability sounds a sharp warning and she runs up hard against a dead end.  Her search for assistance leads her to a Sidhe and ancient Celtic rituals blaze their way into her life.  Complicating the picture is a deranged patient who’s been hell bent on destroying Lara ever since she tried to help his abused wife, a boyfriend with a long-buried secret and a society that’s crumbling to dust as shortages of everything from electricity to food escalate.

Amazon Paperback  Amazon Kindle   BN    Smashwords   ARe        Books on Board   Gypsy Shadow Publishing   Official Trailer

Psyche’s Search
Book Two of the Transformation Series
Born with the sight, Laura McInnis is ambivalent about her paranormal ability. Oh it’s useful enough some of the time with her psychotherapy patients. But mostly it’s an embarrassment and an inconvenience—especially when her visions drag her to other worlds. Or into Goblin dens. In spite of escalating violence, incipient food shortages and frequent power blackouts, Lara is still far too attached to the comfortable life she shares with her boyfriend, Trevor, a flight attendant who lost his job when aviation fuel got so expensive—and so scarce—his airline went out of business. Forced to seek assistance to hone her unusual abilities in Psyche’s Prophecy, Book I of this series, Lara is still quite the neophyte in terms of either summoning or bending her magic to do much of anything.

Reluctantly roped into channeling her unpredictable psychic talents to help a detective who saved her from a psychopathic killer, Lara soon finds herself stranded in the murky underbelly of a world inhabited by demons.  The Sidhe offer hope, but they are so high-handed Lara stubbornly resists their suggestions.  Riots, death on all sides, a mysterious accident and one particular demon targeting her, push Lara to make some hard decisions. When all seems lost, the Dreaming, nestled in the heart of Celtic magic, calls out to her.
Amazon Paperback  Amazon Kindle  BN   SmashwordsAReBooks on Board   Gypsy Shadow PublishingOfficial Trailer  Psyche’s PromiseBook Three of the Transformation Series
The Transformation Series is about finding out who we truly are when the chips are down. About what is real and what is illusory. About what matters and what doesn’t. It’s easy to show our best side when everything is going well. How about when the world is disintegrating around us? What happens then?

In this final book of the Transformation Series, Lara and Trevor’s relationship undergoes stresses that threaten to annihilate them. Constantly hungry, besieged by dark forces, they need every resource they’ve developed as a couple to keep from ripping each other apart. With Lillian and Raven— two ancient Celtic Sidhe— off fighting their own war against Goblin hordes, Lara has only herself and her half-baked magic standing between survival and certain death for herself, her love and their child.

The remote location that was supposed to solve all Lara and Trevor’s problems has done anything but. Though she works diligently, Lara’s crash course in magic proves woefully inadequate. When Trevor is captured by demons, Lara curses her decision to leave Seattle. “If only I’d known,” she cries, convinced she can’t go back. Or can she?
Amazon    B&N    All Romance ebooks    Smashwords Gypsy Shadow Publishing Official Trailer             Author Biography Ann Gimpel is a mountaineer at heart. Recently retired from a long career as a psychologist, she remembers many hours at her desk where her body may have been stuck inside four walls, but her soul was planning yet one more trip to the backcountry. Around the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), she managed to finagle moving to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with the mountains. It was during long backcountry treks that Ann’s writing evolved. Unlike some who see the backcountry as an excuse to drag friends and relatives along, Ann prefers her solitude. Stories always ran around in her head on those journeys, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging conditions made her fear for her life, sometimes for company. Eventually, she returned from a trip and sat down at the computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. Oh, it wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. And she learned a lot between writing that novel and its sequel.

Around that time, a friend of hers suggested she try her hand at short stories. It didn’t take long before that first story found its way into print and they’ve been accepted pretty regularly since then. A trilogy, the Transformation Series released by Gypsy Shadow Publishing, features Psyche’s Prophecy, Psyche’s Search and Psyche’s Promise. One of Ann’s passions has always been ecology, so her tales often have a green twist and the Transformation Series is no exception.

In addition to writing, Ann enjoys wilderness photography. Part of her website is devoted to photos of her beloved Sierra. And she lugs pounds of camera equipment in her backpack to distant locales every year. A standing joke is that over ten percent of her pack weight is camera gear which means someone else has to carry the food! That someone else is her husband. They’ve shared a life together for a very long time. Children, grandchildren and three wolf hybrids round out their family.
  www.anngimpel.com http://anngimpel.blogspot.com http://www.amazon.com/author/anngimpel http://www.facebook.com/anngimpel.author https://twitter.com/#!/AnnGimpel

Be Bad, for Goodness Sake! Christmas with Tara Lain.

Welcome to A Writer’s Mind’s third annual WHAT EVERY WOMAN WANTS BENEATH HER CHRISTMAS TREE blog event. If this is your first time here, let me catch you up. This event will be welcoming over twenty-two authors and an editor between now and Christmas. Expect tons of fun and lots of giveaways!

YULETIDE NOTE: I encourage you to leave a comment for a chance to win each featured author's given prize. Their individual winners will be announced in a comment after their post. In addition, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter provided after each post as often as you like for a chance to win the grand prize, three $30 Amazon Gift Cards, 12+ ebooks and over six print novels. Three winners drawn and announced December 26th, 2012.

Today it’s my pleasure to welcome over author Tara Lain who will be doing a little festive sharing and graciously giving away TWO eCopies of Be Bad,  For Goodness Sake.

Tara, the floor’s yours…

Happy holidays everyone! I’m so happy to be here with Sky celebrating our busiest, most mystical and magical time of year. Sky asked us to share thoughts or memories of the holidays and I’d like to tell you about my very early Christmas in Vienna, Austria. I was only about three, but I remember it so well. In Vienna at that time, they had a holiday tradition that brought not only Saint Nicholas out into the streets, but also the frightening beast-like Krampus. While Saint Nick gives children presents, Krampus gives them switches and coal and is said to take a particularly bad child back to his lair for Christmas Dinner--and they are the feast!

On the day I remember, Saint Nicholas and Krampus came to our door! Krampus bellowed in German, “Are there any bad children here?” I hid behind my mom as she assured him that all the children in our household (me) were very, very good. And so Saint Nicholas gave me two cookies. One looked like him and one like Krampus.  I had a good friend -- a Viennese boy named Heinrich. I wanted to share my cookies with him. I looked carefully, and made a fateful decision. I gave Heinrich the Saint Nick cookie and I kept Krampus. Even then I must have known that the villains are often the most interesting characters! Hmm, I wonder if that choice molded my character.  LOL

I’ve had a good time writing holiday stories in my short career. Last year I created a quirky book called Mistletowed with a cast of seven characters who mix and match under the influence -- maybe-- of some magical mistletoe. This year, I’ll be introducing my new book, Snow Balls, in time for the holidays. While the book isn’t truly a “holiday” story, it does take place during the holidays so I got to include the famous Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite at Christmas time. This year, I also have a fun and unexpected holiday story called, Be Bad, for Goodness Sake. It’s my first ever MF love story.

I hope all of us have the best holiday yet! Full of laughter, bounty, and most of all, LOVE!

Be Bad, for Goodness Sake by Tara Lain

Available at Amazon   and   Smashwords Christopher “Kit” Merchant is a metrosexual. Though he’s great at his job in product marketing for a high tech firm, he loves fashion, grooming, design and planning parties. Sadly, he also loves the CEO of his company, Elizabeth “Bett” Harding, who is nine years older, ten times richer, and has a big successful CEO as a boyfriend. When Bett asks Kitt to plan the big company holiday party at her house, he’s thrilled. Maybe she’ll come to see him as eligible. But when Bett’s boyfriend finds them together in bathrobes sipping wine, Kit discovers Bett thinks he’s gay. On top of that, the boyfriend is trying to take over Bett’s position as CEO “for her own good”. Some serious holiday magic is required. Will Kit and Bett ever get the chance to be bad, for goodness sake?

Visit Tara Lain at her Website ~ Author Blog ~ Facebook ~ Book Blog

Sky here. Tara, thanks so much for sharing! I loved your childhood memory of Christmas in Austria. Very cool! And I 'get it' about the villian. They can indeed have a certain appeal. *grins* Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. Thanks so much for spending some of it at A Writer's Mind!

Readers, don't forget to comment for a chance to win an eCopy of Be Bad, For Goodness Sake. Then be sure to enter the Rafflecopter to win even more!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c587a91/

Could the End of the World be Near?

It's almost the end of the world. Winter Solstice is right around the corner. Are you ready to survive and thrive?

Welcome to the BUG-IN WITH ROMANCE BLOG EVENT!

We're a group of mostly romance authors that are worried about general fox-hole morale when the shit hits the fan. So you've got your bug-out bags packed, your medicine stocked up, your 2 weeks of food stuff hidden in the air-space behind the dry wall in your home (just in case the government shows up to confiscate your horde of food), you've stored away some candles and extra batteries, and you're ready to go. Well, what about Mom's sanity? What about those almost twenty year old daughters hooked on romance novels? What about...How are you planning to while away the boredom in your little safe place? We've got you covered. Win some romance novels and tick off your preparedness checklist with us as we countdown to THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT.

Each author will be giving away a paperback copy of her book, a book about her Bug-In subject, or one of her favorite reads. So, stick around to enter to win each day. The blog event is a true blog hop in the sense that it begins with one blog post and moves on each day to another participating author's blog. Each day the hostess will post the link to the next day's blog post and contest. All you do is start today, here, and pop over to the next blog tomorrow.

And don't forget to pop over tomorrow to learn some interesting survival info and enter to win a prize!

Sheree Coleman--bug-out bags http://cheri-spincycletexas.blogspot.com/
 

"Get Under the Mistletoe by Christmas Eve" with Meg Mims', SANTA PAWS.

Welcome to A Writer’s Mind’s third annual WHAT EVERY WOMAN WANTS BENEATH HER CHRISTMAS TREE blog event! Just popping in for the first time? Here’s the scoop. This event runs now through Christmas day, featuring over twenty-two authors, an editor and tons of giveaways!

YULETIDE NOTE: I encourage you to leave a comment for a chance to win each featured author's given prize. Their individual winners will be announced in a comment after their post. In addition, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter provided after each post as often as you like for a chance to win the grand prize, three $30 Amazon Gift Cards, 12+ ebooks and over six print novels. Three winners drawn and announced December 26th, 2012.

Today it's my pleasure to welcome over author Meg Mims to share a little Christmas post with us, including a scrumptious holiday recipe.

Let's hear from Meg...

Who doesn't LOVE a dog at Christmas time? Okay, cat lovers maybe -- but seriously, I just attended a tree lighting ceremony in Reston, Virginia, and saw a lot of dogs with their loving owners. If I'd brought my dog, I would have put his jingle bell collar on! Anyway, because I love dogs, and because I took in a rescue dog (a Lhasa Apso-mix) to be company for my Malti-poo, I wrote SANTA PAWS as a Christmas Novella.

Here's what it's about:

The last thing Lacey Gordon—divorced with a teen daughter and two cats—needs is a rescue dog coming into her life. To top it off, she's rooked into a "Get Under the Mistletoe by Christmas Eve" dating contest. Since Buddy the dog prefers to be the only "new guy" in Lacey's life, will Santa Claws ruin her holiday for good?

Because my year has been topsy-turvy like Lacey's (my daughter moved to a different state for a new job!), I've had to "skimp" on the holiday prep. But it's okay, because we still enjoy the little things like going to a tree-lighting, driving around to see Christmas lights, enjoying some mint mocha together -- the cookies will most likely come from the bakery this year. But I'd love to share one of my mom's favorite recipes, and one of the easiest to make too!

While you're making these cookies, enjoy this brief excerpt from SANTA PAWS  (available at Amazon Kindle , B&N Nook , Smashwords ) and leave a comment if you want to win a copy! If you don't win, hey! Download your copy for only 99c!

Merry Christmas and may blessings abound for you in 2013!

NUTTY CHOCOLATE "TOFFEE" BARS

2 sticks butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

CREAM butter and sugar together, add vanilla and mix in flour and salt to make "dough" -- spread on bottom of jelly roll pan. (Line pan with foil if you wish)... BAKE for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees, till golden brown. IMMEDIATELY TOP WITH 1 pkg semi sweet chocolate chips (milk or dark, your choice! Nestle or Hershey)  -- SPREAD WHILE COOKIE LAYER IS HOT. Top with 1 cup finely chopped walnuts. Let cool before cutting into squares. YUM!!! These cookies will freeze beautifully too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

The afternoon wore on, and the only bright spot was a cryptic text message from her daughter. She preferred talking on the phone. Texting was convenient, although she had to chunk up their cell phone plan to unlimited messages and web access for Deena. The girl seemed to spend hours on that Smart phone. Was that a good thing, being so hooked into the ‘net? Lacey’s guilt was already high given the divorce. She had no idea if Deena did her homework in the hours between getting home and Lacey’s return from work.

Lacey eyed the phone’s screen, skeptical, trying to puzzle out the message’s meaning. ‘Dad drove me home from skl, brt sprize, cant wait 2 see u & him 2gthr.’ Why would Deena be excited for her to see Todd? She understood and sympathized with Lacey about the reasons for divorce. She never made excuses for her father, and seemed disappointed when he didn’t come through for her. Odd that Todd drove Deena home. But what did ‘brt sprize’ mean? It couldn’t be ‘bought.’ He didn’t usually buy Deena any surprises. Unless he brought a check for his belated child support. She hoped so.

Lacey could go grocery shopping Saturday—uh oh. She’d promised to think about attending the ‘dating contest’ at Fresh Grounds. She did love their mocha lattes. Hm. She hurried through the rest of the paperwork piled on her desk, turned off her lamp and computer, then ran into April on the way out to the parking garage. The elevator’s chill set them both shivering.

“I’ve got you down for noon at Fresh Grounds.”

“Why so early? I thought you had the whole afternoon reserved.”

“You’re quality, remember.” April dashed to her truck.

Lacey clutched the top of her coat together to shield against the bitter wind. Two days till Saturday. Anything could come up and sabotage her plans. She hurried to her car in the growing dusk, grateful to see the sunset courtesy of Daylight Savings. Then again, mornings were pitch black. Lacey drove toward home, half-listening to the news, hoping Todd wouldn’t ruin her evening. And that she didn’t get stuck in traffic. Pure luck she zipped home in half an hour.

And nearly ran down a burly man in a Sherpa jacket and baseball cap, walking a dog across the street. Not just any dog, but a beige and white pit bull. Lacey shivered. She pulled into the condo complex in relief. Home, sweet home. Even if it was a bit cramped compared to a house in the ‘burbs where she’d spent her marriage. The frame and brick condominiums, surrounded by tall oaks and maples, had four two-story units joined together with a one-story ranch on the side. Most neighbors here were retired, walking their dogs through the narrow streets and parking lots to the woodier paths beyond the complex.

But she cursed aloud seeing Todd’s car in her sheltered parking spot. Lacey warned him the last time not to do that. He never listened. Not now, not back when they’d been married—until she dangled a satin thong in his face. Lacey had found them stuffed in his jacket pocket, and refused to listen to his half-hearted, lame excuses. He hadn’t fought the divorce. Perhaps he preferred running around, since he’d been doing just that since high school. Why hadn’t she realized that long ago? Trust was important to her.

Not to him.

She slung her briefcase over one shoulder and walked around her condo to the front door. Lacey fumbled for her keys in her purse. Her briefcase slipped off her shoulder, its hefty weight dragging her down, and her feet burned inside her new pumps. She heard an odd scratching sound. That couldn’t be the cats. They weren’t at the window as usual, watching for birds.

“Deena? Is that you?”

Lacey unlocked the door. Once she opened it, a hairy beige dog barreled into her, knocking her onto her bottom, spilling her briefcase and purse into the snow. She shrieked, her backside aching, one shoe on and one shoe off. Lacey stared in horror when the dog lifted his leg and piddled in an arc over her leg. A few warm wet drops dribbled on her pantyhose.

Deena appeared in the doorway and clapped a hand over her mouth. “Buddy! Bad dog—oh, Mom, he’s really very sweet. Just wait till you—no, Buddy!”

Lacey watched the dog snatch her purse and duck between her daughter’s legs, then race inside the house and up the carpeted steps. Leaving a trail of muddy footprints.
Meg Mims is an award-winning author and artist, who loves Christmas time -- the lights, the carols, the family time,  the tree decorating, but not the shopping!

Purchase SANTA PAWS at -- Amazon Kindle , B&N Nook , Smashwords .

Visit Meg Mims at her Website ~ Facebook ~ Blog

SKY HERE. Meg, thanks so much for spending some of your holiday season at A Writer's Mind. I'm actually considering 'saving' a dog this Christmas so I found this post especially touching. And that recipe? YUM!!! Wishing you and yours a very Happy Holiday!

Readers, don't forget to comment for a chance to win SANTA PAWS. Then be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win even more!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c587a91/

Find A Little Romantic Suspense Beneath Your Christmas Tree! Make Welcome, J.D. Faver.

Welcome! You’ve arrived just in time. Why? Well, today marks the first day of A Writer’s Mind’s, WHAT EVERY WOMAN WANTS BENEATH HER CHRISTMAS TREE blog event. What does that mean? Simple. Between now and December 25th, many authors will be visiting to share a little festive cheer with you. This event is all about having fun, holiday chat and of course, lots and lots of giveaways!
YULETIDE NOTE: I encourage you to leave a comment for a chance to win each featured author's given prize. In addition, be sure to enter the Rafflecopter provided after each post as often as you like for a chance to win the grand prize, three $30 Amazon Gift Cards, 12+ ebooks and over six print books. Three winners drawn and announced December 26th, 2012.

Today I’d like to welcome over featured author, J.D. Faver.

The floor’s all yours J.D….

Black Friday! Celebrate with a look at J.D. Faver’s romantic suspense, a great recipe and a free download.

Thank you so much for inviting me to kick off this exciting event, Sky. Today is Black Friday and I’m certain everyone has gotten all their Christmas shopping done…Yeah, me neither.

I hope you aren’t going out into the chaos that is Black Friday to elbow your way through the crowds and fight for those amazing bargains. If you do, I hope you’re prepared to scratch and pull hair with the best of them. I’ll be rooting for you…while I’m snuggled here at home with my friends, Visa and Mastercard. I’m pretty sure that these guys can open most doors for me.  And I’ll avoid all that hair pulling. Since I write romantic thrillers, I know a lot about hiding the bodies. so it doesn’t pay to get on my bad side. I might virtually kill you in a most heinous manner.

Today I want to share my romantic suspense, KILL SHOT  with you. It’s a reunion story. Readers have fallen in love with Oz, my hero, an Alpha-male cop. When someone starts taking pot shots at Micki, his childhood sweetheart, Oz tries to protect her.

Blurb for KILL SHOT:

A sniper has her in his sight. So does her ex, an over-protective alpha-male cop. 

When she shoots the wrong subject, Micki Vermillion, a free-spirited photographer runs to the arms of Oz Osmond, her ex-lover, an over protective alpha-male cop. She chose to carry on in her father’s profession rather than become the wife everyone expected her to be. Now, she has a second chance at happiness if she stays alive that long.

KILL SHOT is available on the following sites, among others:
 
  Amazon                   Apple ITunes                  B&N Which brings me to the question, what would you like to find under your tree this Christmas? To win a copy of my best-selling novel, KILL SHOT ,  just leave a comment with your email address and tell me what you hope to find under your tree. The winner will be chosen by random drawing. What would I like to find under my Christmas tree? Hmmm…Let me think…How about one of the gorgeous specimens from my Inspirations page on Pinterest?  Don’t worry about wrapping my present. Unwrapped is just fine…

And I’m sharing a favorite recipe for the holidays. This is a much requested side dish in my family. It is a broccoli casserole without the usual rice. It only has a few ingredients so it’s fast and easy, but most of all, delicious.

Broccoli Casserole

1 large bunch (4 cups) cooked, fresh broccoli spears, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 2-oz. jar sliced pimentos
1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 ounce carton sour cream
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix mushroom soup and sour cream well. Add broccoli, celery and pimentos. Mix well. Turn into a 1-1/2 quart casserole, sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Serves 4.

While I’m sharing, how about a FREE giveaway today only?  BAD MEDICINE is the first in my romantic thriller series, The Edge of Texas. This series is set in south Texas just a short distance north of the border in a coastal area. The steamy romance is interwoven with an edge of your seat suspense.

~Blurb~

“You’re too stupid to live, Rafael Solis!” Chloe Palmer’s words still echoed in Rafael’s memory. The last words she said before she shot him and left town…

Unable to escape her past, Chloe returns to the Texas coast for her murdered father’s funeral and to face Rafael, the man she left behind. Rafael never gave up on her. His passion breaks down her emotional barriers, but her impetuous nature draws her into a cruel vortex where she runs afoul of old and new enemies.

Previous rivalries emerge, pitting Rafael against the heir-apparent to a crime dynasty. With the body count rising, Rafael and Chloe battle an infatuated but vicious drug lord, kidnappers, and a twisted curandero (Mexican healer). Will they survive the violence and be able to forge a life together?

I hope you enjoy BAD MEDICINE. It will be free from midnight to 11:59 pm PST.

Leave a comment to tell me what you would like to find under your Christmas tree. If you would like to pick up a little something for me, check out my Pinterest  Inspirations page. I would be happy with any of these delectable treats. And don’t worry about wrapping them. Unwrapped is just fine…

Check out my  website and follow me on  Facebook and  Twitter .  Have a great weekend and enjoy the holiday season with people you love.

~J.D. Faver

SKY HERE. Great post, J.D.! That recipe sounds amazing! Thanks so much for sharing. Wishing you and yours a truly wonderful holiday season.

Readers… don’t forget to leave a comment that includes what you’d like to find under your Christmas tree this year and your email address for a chance to win J.D. Faver’s best-selling novel, Kill Shot. (Contest ends Saturday, November 24th, 6 AM EST. Winner announced in a comment after this post)

But that's not all. Enter to win even more in the Rafflecopter below!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c587a91/

How YOU can HELP this Holiday Season.

It’s hard to believe that another year’s gone by and Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. In my world that means cleaning the house for company, grocery shopping, then spending Thanksgiving day cooking and visiting with family.

But is it that way for everyone?Definitely not.

I recently shared an experience about losing reviews and how it took what felt like such a depressing situation to make me realize that things could be far worse. I should be grateful for the things I have. After all, so many people in the world are in need. As promised, I’ve compiled a list of groups and charity’s that could use a little extra help this holiday season, whether by donation or volunteering. The first thing that came to mind above all the rest were those who suffered as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Here in New Hampshire we were spared the brunt of the storm but in states such as New York and New Jersey, the storm ripped a path of devastation. Many are STILL without power and many lost everything they had. So how can you help? Consider donating! I’m providing two sources that I trust. The American Red Cross- Sandy Relief . The Salvation Army- Sandy Relief Who else could you help this holiday season? Soldiers currently in active duty overseas and of course, our veterans!  Here are some great sites I found. Books For Soldiers    Soldiers Angels’ (May no soldier go unloved) Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, Inc    Military.com  (This site provides many more helpful links) Team Rubicon . I heard about these guys on the news. Amazing! While I’m unable to provide you all the links to your most favored causes I can gently remind you that this is the time of year when we most celebrate ‘giving.’ Please, if you have even an hour or two of spare time; consider volunteering at your local soup kitchen or charity of choice. So MANY people are in need.  I’m not sure if you have any Burlington Coat Factory’s in your area but they host a fantastic Coat Drive. ‘Give a Coat. Share the Warmth’ is their motto. To learn more click HERE . Help the poor worldwide. Check out Food for the Poor HERE . Money tight? I understand. Consider donating blood! Imagine how many lives you could save this holiday alone. Does the idea make you a little nervous? You're not alone. That's why I would recommend those in the USA go to the FDA Food and Drug Administration where they not only provide a detailed summary of everything you can expect when donating blood but provide information on how you can actually donate. Another trusted Worldwide source would be Red Cross- Give Blood.

There's also ONE more way you can donate this holiday season and it's as simple as saying, "Thank you!" That's right. They're just two little words but wow can they make a difference in someone's day. It could be somebody at work, a family member, anyone. Taking the time to thank them for how they touched your life is well worth a few moments of your time.

Me? I'm taking the time to say 'Thank You' to some of the services that I use on the internet for FREE. So yes, the founders of Rafflecopter just heard from me. Next on the list? Facebook, Triberr, Twitter and Author's Den. If you’d like to share some more reputable donation sites in a comment, please do so. If you'd like to share who you'd like to thank and why, share that as well! Sometimes, when we communicate, it sparks ideas in others.Wishing everyone a wonderful and giving holiday season.God Bless,Sky

What Losing Sixteen 5-Star Reviews Feels Like. How to Turn a Negative Into a POSITIVE!

 Losing so many reviews made me sad. And bloody angry!  at first… Can you blame me? Never in my wildest imagination would I have believed that one of my retailers would have allowed such a thing to happen. But it did. Can I explain it? Not to this day. Who is that retailer? I’ll never say. Regardless, it happened. I lost sixteen 5 star reviews from nine titles between October 18th and October 28th. Lord, was I depressed. It wasn’t fair. At least not in my book. Funny thing, after a few days of hanging my head and feeling sorry for myself, something occurred to me…Is that all I have to be depressed about?Seriously?Here I was all bummed because I’d lost a few reviews. Aye, perhaps a wee bit more than a few but still. In what I thought my ‘darkest hour’ I was mourning the loss of a few stars and words when so many would do anything to be in my shoes.What do I mean?Consider this. Though I worked hard to write those stories that lost the reviews, I did it in a warm house with electricity and with a full belly. Not bad, eh? My plight was becoming far less daunting by the minute. Then it occurred to me that I wrote these stories while my son played happily downstairs with more toys than he really needed. My husband was watching a ‘just released’ movie on cable TV. My dog was eating wet AND dry dog food and slurping up fresh water. Those sixteen lost five star reviews were meaning less and less.By the time I got back from my vacation I was downright disgusted with myself. Shame on me!Yes, reviews can make or break me but you know what? I’ll find a way. I’ll bounce back. But what about all of those families in my town, country, in other countries, who might not find a way to survive? That became the MUCH bigger picture.In the past week I’ve been on a crusade to find ways to help those in need. I’ve bought pre-made meals at my grocery store to help local families, participated in my son’s school's Thanksgiving food drive and volunteered to help at my local Soup Kitchen this holiday. This is just the beginning of what I intend to do. The moral of my story? Thank God I lost sixteen 5-Star reviews! What a world of difference they’ve already made.Have you lost something lately that you realize might not be as terrible as you thought? If so, consider turning your attention to those who could use your help. Google your town + help + food drive. You might be amazed!Stay tuned. I'll be posting more about ways you can help with tons of links. God Bless,
Sky

Betrayal. Risk. Love. Dariel Raye's, Jordan's Wings.

 Today it's my pleasure to feature Dariel Raye's, Jordan's Wings. “The Alerians – Dark Progeny: Jordan’s Wings”
Jordan Taylor is a feisty, take charge, Rubinesque beauty with a tough façade, but after a string of lackluster relationships, her dream of a man who truly loves and appreciates her strength seems impossible…Until she meets Canaan, the man her fiancé claims is his best friend! Instinctively, she knows her neat, if lackluster life is about to change.

Born more than 200 years ago, Canaan looks like an angel but he’s far from it. In his world, the ratio of men to women is 500 to 1, and although he’s a superior being, he’s willing to break the most sacred law of his brothers, even drink human blood, to have one meant for him alone.When he meets Jordan, he knows she’s the one he’s been searching for.  To claim her, Canaan will have to betray his friend, humble himself enough to win her love, and risk his very life.

Excerpt Jordan woke suddenly and sat up in her bed. She rubbed at her eyes to make sure she saw what she thought she saw. “You! What are you…? How did you…? Get out of my room!” She stood up and stalked toward him when he just sat there, that smirk apparently tattooed on his face, a face too handsome to belong to such a lowlife.

Canaan’s smirk-smile widened as she got closer. He was looking at her body, and some of his teeth didn’t look right. She didn’t have the presence of mind to identify just what was wrong, though. Jordan glanced down and was immediately reminded that she had slept in the nude.

Find Dariel and her books on the net...  Red Rose Publishing: http://redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?products_id=1302   Blogs: http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com http://www.darkparanormalromanceseries.com   Goodreads: : http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8640181-dariel-raye   Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@Pendarielraye   Click here to visit Dariel's site for more information about her books and music!