Annette Mori's Blog, page 21

Easter Eggs

Yeah, I know the next holiday coming up is Valentines Day, but you know me…gotta operate outside the rails. Besides, this blog isn’t about Easter. For those of you who might not know what literary Easter eggs are, let me share what I found on the internet. Here is my favorite description of a literary Easter egg: “An extra layer to an object, action, piece of dialogue or character in a story which may be hidden to many readers, but which provides those in the know with a little extra kick of pleasure because they’ve got the intended reference.”

Some of the most famed books with Easter eggs include: The Davinci Code (duh…it would make sense that author loves hiding Easter eggs), The Great Gatsby, Harry Potter Series, Through the Looking Glass, and the Fellowship of the Ring, just to name a few. I am sure there are many more. For literary giants in the lesfic/WLW world, Lee Winter has admitted to putting Easter eggs in her books.

Without even knowing it, I started placing Easter eggs in my books. I’d never heard of this until one of my beta readers pointed it out in a Facebook post. She mentioned enjoying the Easter egg in one of my books and I had to look it up. Many years later she posted about this concept again and that’s what prompted this blog. Apparently, I am not the only lesfic author to hide Easter eggs in my books. In fact, many authors do this!

The first time I placed an Easter egg in a story was in my contribution to the anthology, Conference Call. Then because I had so much fun with that, I snuck one into Unconventional Lovers. After that it became an almost obsession and I placed Easter eggs into several other books including: The Book Addict, A Window to Love, The Book Witch, The Panty Thief, One Shot at Love, and in a round about way, Inspiration Takes a Vacation. I’m not going to tell you exactly what those Easter Eggs are, but if you’ve read many or most of my books, you may be able to find them. Or, if you know anything about me, you will definitely find a few of them! I wonder how many readers look for those Easter eggs or know they even exist. I also wonder how many other authors hide Easter eggs in their stories. I’d love to hunt for them! If you want to search for my Easter eggs, you know the drill…just click on the links below. Happy hunting!

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Renewed Hope…

On Wednesday the historic event we’ve all been waiting for went on without a hitch. In fact, I believe the inauguration was spectacular in more ways than one. From the poet laurate to all the performers who came out to celebrate, the United States proved that despite the challenges we would move forward and prove the naysayers wrong. Biden and Harris did not need to have their egos fed with the “biggest crowd ever” lie, nor did they let the pandemic keep them from setting the standard for the new reality. Virtual was every bit as awesome as a live crowd. And…how about those fireworks?

Certainly, I am not naïve enough to think that everything will now be unicorns and rainbows. This isn’t a lesbian romance with a guaranteed happily ever after. But, for now, we are on the right track. I am now walking around with a pep to my step. Yup, pep to my step. Let me say that several times because it rolls off the tongue very nicely. It helped that we were able to watch everything from afar, hoping and praying that nothing would happen to extend the craziness and violence we all watched on January 6th.

Did anyone register that four years ago it was a gloomy day on January 20th at the capitol, but for this inauguration the sun shined brightly. If that isn’t a message from the Goddesses, I’m not sure what else is? Let that be what guides us for the next four years, and hopefully beyond.

I am not sure what that means for my writing, but at least I am feeling more inspired lately. That patch of blue is within visibility. The doom and gloom may very well blow away, and the sun is shining again. In the meantime, I have a backlist for you to check out and a recent happily ever after unique romance that is getting outstanding reviews!

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Middle Child

I’m a middle child and normally that means I play the role of peacekeeper in the family. Conflict is particularly hard for middle kids. Offering an olive branch is usually the go to move for middle children. I’m not sure when this philosophy changed for me, but it has. I used to be the type of person who tried to seek to understand, rather than be understood. To kill people with kindness. To reach out to those with completely different perspectives and ideas and try to walk in their shoes. Likewise, the rule of addressing the behavior of a person that might be abhorrent versus attacking the person.

A switch has gone off that may never return, and I am no longer the quintessential middle child. Why? Because at this point, enough is enough. I don’t even want to try to understand those who adopt conspiracy theories to justify violence. I’m starting to ask questions like, did the Jewish people and those who were sent to the gas chambers try to reunite Germany with an olive branch? The answer is HELL NO. This call for unity and reaching out to the other side is frankly ridiculous. Perhaps I will change my mind if the radical right reaches out, apologizes, and offers that olive branch. If those same mobsters wish to try to mend the country and are sincere in their desires, I’ll listen. Until that time, this call for a measured response is bullshit. It is not the responsibility of the victims to meet the other side in the middle.

I readily admit I was very upset four years ago when Trump won, and I was among the protesters chanting, “Not my president.” But, and this is a big but, I never considered violence or anything other than chanting my displeasure. Trump supporters have a right to be upset. Their guy lost. They do not have a right to bully their way into a different outcome. Nor do they have a right to attack our capitol, or engineer a different outcome by taking out political opponents or critics of a twice impeached president.

I’d like to leave this world returning to my former stance on conflict and become that middle child again where I try to understand the other side. Time will tell if I’ll ever get there. In the meantime, I can’t help interjecting my views on social issues, injustices, discrimination, violation of human rights, and yes, politics, usually on a small scale, but sometimes the lure is too great to write a book inspired by what’s currently happening in this country. Thus, my current WIP, The Others, will definitely have more of a political bent as a dystopian novel than many of my other books. In the meantime, I have managed to write many books mostly free of politics and filled with romance. You know the drill, click the links below to check them out, including my most recent novel that is getting great reviews.

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Waiting…

This past year has been a year of anxiety driven waiting. First, I counted the days until my retirement. Then COVID 19 hit and we all waited for things to return to normal, for lockdowns to lift, etc. (we’re still waiting). But the biggest waiting has occurred around politics. Extremely important political elections to be exact. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for everything to settle and return to some level of normalcy.

Waiting for November 3rd was one of the most nail biting events of last year and the cruel hand of fate caused us to wait some more. The election wasn’t called for Biden/Harris until four days later on November 7th. Then we had to wait some more because neither Senate race in Georgia had a definitive winner, causing the most important run off race of the decade. Fortunately, it appears as though we will prevail and the Democrats won both seats. Sadly, our joy was taken away by the events at the capitol. Each time one of those political events neared completion, I would religiously watch CNN 24/7, looking for hints on the outcome. I watched all the pundits analyze every single detail. The polls proved they are no longer worthy of following. In fact, everything was upended this election season, including US democracy. Because of a totally unhinged sitting President, and the willingness of a large number of politicians eager to lick his boots at a chance to woo his base and take over as the next racist, sexist, homophobic, misogynist, xenophobic asswipe leader of the free world, we are still waiting for that peaceful transfer of power (whew, I know that was a run on sentence). I fear it will never come. And…that waiting is causing more gray hairs than I’ve earned in my entire life. I am waiting for the craziness to stop, and for those who enabled our unhinged president to finally realize how they contributed to the violence and chaos on our capitol. Enough is enough. When will the waiting end? Honestly, I simply cannot take the stress. I don’t like feeling this way all the time, and yet, I can’t help myself from watching the news all day long while waiting for the ultimate outcome to occur. We are all still in fear, waiting for the President to toss the next bomb. I would not be surprised by anything he chooses to do and the biggest waiting date of all is on the horizon. I can’t wait for January 20th at 12:01. Until then, none of us can take a collective sigh of relief. The riots on the capital taught us that lesson.

Now for a little levity…because we all need that! This past week, I had to leave my living room to go work out so I didn’t have to endure another anxiety driven football game. I know this sounds trivial compared to the stress over US politics, but my beloved Seahawks have to make nearly every damn game a nail biter. This Saturday I hope my book launch will distract me from yet another Seahawks nail biter. My wife is worried that I’ll still be live when the game starts.

The other kind of waiting that causes my blood pressure to rise is anything related to my next book release. I get anxious about how well the book will do on the first crucial day it is live. Then I wait patiently for the reviews to come in to see if this one will be a dud or at least break even. After about three months, the cards are on the table and the fate of the book is sealed, but there is always the next book to worry about and then the waiting returns.

The waiting is finally over for Inspiration Takes a Vacation: An Epic Love Story, and the book is live. Now I wait for the reviews to come in and to see if I can manage to make it into that all important top 100, and even more importantly stay there for at least a month. I’ve found that even my duds can get into the top 100 in that first week, but staying there is sometimes difficult. I’m also waiting for the Saturday Twin Book Launch event to see if I will totally blow it, or somehow survive with a modicum of dignity. What I worry about most is the technology. I’m not quite sure I can pull off connecting Ali into the Facebook Live and that is definitely something that keeps me up at night. In the meantime, if y’all want to check out my new book, or any of my books, of course you know I would love that. It won’t necessarily help with the waiting, but when my book does reasonably well, it does help with the anxiety. You know the drill, check out the links below!

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How 2020 Didn’t Completely Suck…

Sure, I know that 2020 wasn’t the best year for most people. However, being the kind of person I am who tries to see the glass half full, rather than half empty, I decided I needed to do a recap of 2020 highlighting the top ten positive things to happen within my stratosphere. So, without too much preamble, here they are in no particular order of importance or significance:

The second annual Girls Just Wanna Have Fun Weekend , organized by Brandi Carlisle and featuring numerous female artists, went on without a hitch at the Hard Rock hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico. My wife and I extended this first vacation after our official retirement to three weeks and it was awesome. We even met up with Facebook friends who read my books!I retired after over 35 years in healthcare human resources and finally got to live with my wife fulltime.My wife and I took our first maiden cross-country RV trip and learned that although there were challenges, we managed to co-exist in our tiny home for five weeks while visiting friends, family, and a smattering of readers. It was particularly important to see my father who is ageing rapidly. Plus, we learned so much about our RV that will come in handy when we’re able to take another long journey.On June 15th, the Supreme court handed down a major victory for the LGBTQ+ community. In a historic decision, they ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights Act protects gay, lesbian, and transgender employees from discrimination based on sex. The ruling was 6-3, with Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s first appointee to the court, writing the majority opinion. In some ways this was as precedent setting as the decision on marriage equality.While Thanksgiving and Christmas were different this year, we still managed to have a grand time in the Tri-cities on Thanksgiving as we devoured a wonderful meal inside our hotel room. Not having to cook was a bonus, even if we weren’t able to eat in a restaurant as is our tradition of late. Christmas was no different for us as we normally spend it alone with just the two of us at home enjoying a wonderful meal.On December 14th, in another decision, while not exactly friendly to the LGBTQ+ community as in their previous decision in June, the court at least was not hostile and turned away Indiana’s attempt to strip equal parenting rights from married same-sex couples. The order suggested that a majority of the justices weren’t eager to roll back marriage equality, despite the rhetoric from Justices Alito and Thomas questioning the ruling on marriage equality, earlier in the year.Despite having a bit of writer’s block, 2020 resulted in three published novels ( The Panty Thief , Heart Strings Attached , and One Shot at Love ) as well as contributions to three anthologies ( The Lesbian Campfire Stories Anthology , Lady Grimm Halloween Anthology and Affinity’s 10th Anniversary Christmas Anthology ). Every novel and short story was different ranging from light humor to tackling serious subjects like gun control and drug addiction.Democrats finally prevailed and voted Trump out of office, making him an impeached, one-term president, who lost by a landslide, despite the outright lies, conspiracy theories and general craziness that is still happening.The courts and even some unlikely Republicans, took a stand and made sure that our democracy is not lost after all. With 60 losses in court, including two smack downs from the Supreme Court, many breathed a sigh of relief. Sure, I know it isn’t really over until January 20th, but the game is over and we’re just counting down the days until Trump leaves office. Or, in my dreams, they drag his ass out in handcuffs.Two separate vaccinations to help fight the Coronavirus 19 were developed and approved by the FDA in record time. This gives me hope that eventually we will return to normal, hopefully sooner rather than later.Because I can’t resist to add one more…Last year I participated in numerous live readings, launch parties and a true highlight… Girl On Fire with KD Williamson who made me taste hot sauce!

So…what is on the horizon for 2021? I am hoping that the vaccinations allows for less restrictive travel in 2021, including a trip to Florida for GCLS. My fingers are crossed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances three more books will be published in 2021, and all three will be featured in Jae’s Sapphic Reading challenge! Shout out to Jae who does so much for the lesfic/WLW community.

Inspiration Takes a Vacation: An Epic Love Story, which goes live January 7th (on pre-order now). And…I’ll be hosting with Ali Spooner a Twin Launch Party on January 9th at noon PST. Here’s the link to that event: https://fb.me/e/1QfQoBjoB Sculpting her Heart , which comes out in April. A book I am particularly proud of, especially since a beta made this wonderful comment: “I haven’t had a crush this big on a character since reading Jae’s  Backwards to Oregon  and crushing on Luke. Zari is at that range for me as you have created an amazing character. ” To be compared to Jae in any way is a huge compliment! The Others , release date unknown…but hopefully by the end of 2021. I am putting the finishing touches on the WIP and preparing to send it along to Affinity soon.

The jury is still out on whether I have more books inside me, but I’ll worry about that later. I keep tossing around my idea of an older lesbian buying a whole ghost town and creating a lesbian retirement community after being refused entrance into a stuffy community that doesn’t allow LGBTQ+ seniors. I’ve also been conversing with Ali for another installment in the Trophy Wives Series. We did kinda leave things hanging in Heart Strings Attached! But, at least I have twenty-one novels for you to choose from, with two more in the queue, so if you want to check out the back list or my new novel, feel free to click the links below. Oh and Happy New Year…here’s to this year sucking a lot less!

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The 80s

Today is Christmas, but more importantly, today is the day I get to see Wonder Woman 1984. To be honest, I’ve long since stopped participating in most of the Christmas traditions. We don’t decorate other than handing three large Christmas balls from our light fixtures and putting a wreath on our door. We don’t send out holiday cards except for an electronic version posted on Facebook. We’ve stopped buying presents for anyone, not even each other (my wife and I). The only thing we do different on the holiday is cook a special meal.

So…this holiday, my excitement rests solely on watching Wonder Woman 1984. That got me to thinking about the 80s. What an era. While watching the previews, I laughed so hard at the whole parachute pants schtick. I wish I had a picture to prove that I owned a pair. I didn’t have big hair, but I did sport the dyke hairdo of the era and have a picture to prove that.

The 80s was an especially monumental time for me because that is when I came out. I frequented the bar scene, sowed my wild oats, and had several short term relationships in that 10 year period. It was a time of great upheaval and self discovery for me. Revisiting the time period will undoubtedly come with some fond memories, as well as some more painful remembrances, but I am still looking forward to the movie.

The 80s was another time where conservative politics prevailed, including the disastrous Reaganomics with his trickle down theory that never quite worked. I guess we never learn, do we? AIDS, the Chernobyl disaster, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and Challenger explosion were just a few of the tragic events of the era. On the plus side, the 80s brought us personal computers, CDs, the end to the Cold War when the Berlin Wall was torn down, and The Simpsons (I love that show).

Maybe one day I will set one of my books in the 80s to take those of you who lived in that era back to your fond memories. In the meantime, if you have some extra money from Christmas to spend because your friends and family actually celebrate Christmas like normal people, feel free to check out my books, including my most recent book now on pre-order!

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Advancing in Age…

Interesting things happen as the years go by and a person realizes they are fast approaching, if not already have arrived, at the “Golden Years.” I am just shy of that milestone by nearly four years, but here are a few things I’ve noticed over the past few months.

My wife and I decided to throw caution to the wind and recently went to Mexico for some fun in the sun. We had our masks on every single time we were in public and practiced social distancing all the time. Mexico is actually really OCD about masks, sanitizing everything and having those Purell dispensers every few feet to which I used religiously. In our room there was a magnifying mirror to use which came in quite handy. What I learned was that hair grows in more places than my chin now that I have advanced in age. I found three long hairs on my eyelid. Good thing I always carry tweezers. Let me just say, plucking hairs from the eyelid was not much fun at all. I imagine it would be just as much fun as tattooing that area, which I’ve briefly considered so that I don’t have to put on eyeliner. Alas since I’ve taken to wearing daytime pajamas (sweats) every day and rarely putting on make-up, getting a permanent tattoo on my eyelids seemed over the top unnecessary!

The other thing I learned after reading a tweet about a book I had published a few years back is that I don’t have the foggiest idea what lines I’ve written in books that could be considered clever and witty! I don’t even remember the names of all of my characters and often have to go back to my library and look them up if I decide to write a short story around the holidays using the characters in a previously published book (something I often choose to do). Despite the fact that whenever I attend a Q & A on another writer I often ask what is a favorite line they’ve written, I would never be able to answer that question myself…so don’t ask unless you want a delayed response (like as in several days later after I’ve scoured my books).

Fortunately my wife and I have a good sense of humor about forgetting things. Both of us are constantly saying, “I told you about that yesterday.” And…even though deep down we know the other person has indeed told us about something, our pat response is, “No you didn’t.” A round of yes I did and no you didn’t occurs until one or both of us cracks up.

Before a trip we quiz one another about everything we’re supposed to pack, including several double checks on our passports and swimsuit (the only two things that really matter). Most of the time we remember to pack most everything we need, but as time goes on, I’m considering developing a travel checklist just to be on the safe side.

I’m starting to pay close attention to those ads for supplements that are supposed to improve memory. Instead of laughing them off like I used to, I’m tempted to do research on how well they work. I don’t take any chances with lines that come to me in the middle of the night because there is no way I will remember them. I jump out of bed and write those suckers down. Of course by the time the line makes it into a book, I change it quite a bit, but the original nugget of inspiration remains.

Speaking in inspiration, my book Inspiration Takes a Vacation comes out in early January. Hot off the press…I did it…pulled the trigger and decided at the last minute to make my book available for pre-order… I’m not anticipating a ton of sales during the pre-order process (especially since it will be available on KU on January 7th), but what the hell, maybe some of my most loyal readers will want to shop before Christmas! Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Australia Amazon Canada Amazon Germany Also…feel free to check out my backlist. Hopefully you enjoy those clever witty lines that I never remember! Links are below for ease!

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A Bad Breakup

It’s hard for me not to think of Trump’s temper tantrums and bad behavior as similar to a horrible breakup, with a psychopathic edge. We all know those people who react in the extreme when we’ve kicked them to the curb, and now the United States is getting a front seat view. Our worst nightmare is playing out. First, he is refusing to accept the break-up. He’s convinced all his friends that we really didn’t break up after all. The American people love him. Gag…But, just in case, he’s decided that if the American people don’t want him as a leader anymore, he’ll make it impossible for anyone else to take his place. Sound familiar? Ever watched one of those scary made for TV movies where the boyfriend kills his ex-girlfriend because he can’t bear for someone else to have her.

So, what’s he doing to ensure our new leader won’t be successful and he’s not accepted the break-up? The list below is just a few of those things:

Challenging every swing state’s votes in court.Refusing to allow a peaceful transfer of power.Removing military troops from the Middle East to further destabilize the area.Rushing to make an arms deal to the United Arab Emirates which fundamentally changes the balance of power in the Middle East. Refusing to do anything about the rising COVID cases and deaths and insisting that he personally receive credit for the vaccine.Firing anyone who has the audacity to challenge his delusions (via tweet), including his most loyal followers.Threatening to strike Iran.Making sure the senate never authorizes any more relief to people who are struggling even though the lines for food are near depression era levels. For a country who supposed to be so rich, I’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime.

The man is spiraling out of control and there is no end the his reign of terror. He will make us pay for the break up. Like an abusive relationship, we have to hold firm and never let him worm his way in again. I honestly don’t believe our democracy will survive if we let him continue his temper tantrum. He already has bullied a majority of the republicans to take his side in this break up even though he is clearly the person who is most to blame.

I’ve just completed a dystopian manuscript using much of what obsesses me at this moment in the news. It has a happy ending, but there are ominous parallels because I had to put my discomfort with current events on paper. Fortunately, fiction allows me to make a story bend to my will. I wish real life events worked that way. My way to work through terrible break-ups is by writing stories. If you’re interested in checking them out…you know the drill, just click the links below!

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The Charity Season…

This past week Giving Tuesday came and went without a lot of fanfare, even though the need is great all over the world. The pandemic created an unprecedented number of people in the US who don’t have money to stay in their homes or feed their families. To add insult to injury, the pandemic causes isolation, depression, and violence. The continued divide in our country increases the hateful rhetoric to those who are different from ourselves or have different perspectives. Thus in this season of charity, I am trying hard to remember that physical gifts are not the only type of charity worth giving. Being kind means having charitable thoughts about those who, honestly, I have a very hard time thinking charitably about. Hopefully a new era will be sworn in and it will be easier to generate those charitable thoughts!

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Stone Soup Community Press is a charitable press that I am proud to be a part of. We especially like to release books on Giving Tuesday and I am so excited to remind everyone of probably one of the best books I’ve read this year. By purchasing this book, not only will you have a wonderful book to read, but you will be helping charities like The Trevor Project and It Gets Better, two charities I am especially passionate about because they help LGBTQ+ youth who are increasingly more vulnerable in the times we now live in. I hope you will consider purchasing Slaying Dragons by McGee Mathews. Several of my other books and the latest Anthology from Affinity (a Holiday edition) also support various charities. You know the drill, just click the links below!

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Thanking 2020…

What? I know y’all can’t wait for 2020 to be over and might fight it hard to cite anything to be thankful about, but with Thanksgiving coming up and it being a tradition and all, I do have a few things to be thankful for. Granted, 2020 has been a tough year for many people with the pandemic. It certainly won’t be one of those years we will easily forget.

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Other things notable that I am thankful for in 2020 include, the American people’s voices were finally heard and over half the country voted decisively to replace Donald J. Trump and make him a one term president. Eighty million people expelled a collective sigh of relief when the news came down on November 7th. I’m also thankful for my wife and my continued good health, enough for us to have taken a long five week journey in our RV this year. So…2020 hasn’t been all bad for us.

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Several years ago because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, I wrote a short story with the characters in the Asset Management series that can be stand alone story, even if you haven’t read the series. I’d like to share the traditional what I’m thankful for scene, because that is one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving…forcing us to look at the things in our life that are good.

After Ralph finished carving the turkey, he sat down and directed, “Everyone please join hands for the McFarland Thanksgiving tradition. Dani, will you do the honors of starting us off, and please share with everyone one thing you are thankful for?”

Dani smiled. “I’m thankful for being able to experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with an actual home cooked turkey for the first time ever. It’s so exciting to be a part of this.”

It broke Char’s heart to hear that confession. She felt like she should have tried harder to give her younger sister this simple gift. A normal childhood had evaded them both.

Joan wiped a tear that easily escaped from her eye.

Candy looked at Dani. “I’m thankful for meeting such a beautiful, intelligent, warm-hearted woman who takes my breath away every time I look at her.”

Several of the women murmured, “Aw.”

“I’m thankful Aunt Char and Aunt Toni are here too because mom and dad suck at video games, and I’m tired of playing with those weenies,” Brendon smirked.

Tracy glared at her son.

“I’m thankful that Brendon is such a moron, and got mom’s bug eyes instead of me,” Jacob said. Jacob and Brendon fist bumped, earning another scowl from Tracy.

“I’m thankful that Char and Toni came today because you two are on twin duty when we finish this meal. I’m getting cross-eyed playing those damn video games,” Karl exclaimed.

“Twenty-five cents, Dad,” the twins declared.

“I’m thankful that Karl had a vasectomy last year because two more like you would most definitely send me to the funny farm,” Tracy deadpanned.

Karen shook her head and frowned. “You have absolutely no filter, Tracy. I’m thankful I didn’t have to cook today. Thanks, Mom,” Karen pronounced.

“Yeah, I second that—you know, that Karen didn’t cook,” Peter teased.

Karen released her husband’s hand and backhanded him in the chest before clasping it again.

“I’m thankful that Kim finally told me how she felt. I love you to pieces.” Sophie kissed Kim on the cheek.

“I’m thankful that this big lug shows her mushy side to me. Yes, Toni, she has a soft side.” Kim glanced at Sophie. “I love you more.”

“Ew, mushy love talk,” the twins cried out.

“I’m thankful that Cindy is there to patch my lame ass every time I uh…do some extreme sport or something and hurt myself.” Ronda grinned.

“Twenty-five cents, twenty-five cents,” the twins chimed in.

“I’m thankful that Ronda eventually capitulated to my expert advice on what to do to heal faster and for finally noticing me,” Cindy added.

“Oh, I noticed you long before I made my move,” Ronda clarified.

Cindy laid her head on Ronda’s shoulder for a couple of seconds before turning back to the group.

“I’m thankful to be surrounded by so many beautiful women and to learn more about those video games from my grandsons.” Ralph winked.

“I’m thankful that Char came into Toni’s life and gave me renewed hope for more grandchildren.” Joan grinned and looked so much like Toni that Char had to smile back at her.

Char thought that if Toni aged similarly to her mother, she would remain a very beautiful woman well into her mature years.

Toni’s eyes got wide and she groaned.

Char nudged Toni, and she began reciting her thanks. “I’m thankful that Char appreciates my idiosyncrasies, especially when it comes to tinkering with projects in the middle of the night.”

Char stood up and dropped to the floor on one knee. She pulled out a small ring box from her pocket. “Toni, I never thought I would find a perfect match for me. A wise woman once told me, never say never. She reminded me of that very recently.” Char shot Toni a meaningful look and continued, “I am so thankful our paths crossed, and I was able to worm my way into your heart. Please give me one more reason to be thankful today by agreeing to be my wife.”

“Well, hot damn. It’s about time you made an honest woman of me. I was getting tired of living in sin. Besides, we better do this quick before that asshole heading to the White House turns back time. I want to be legal, even if it only lasts a nanosecond. You betcha, let’s get hitched,” Toni exclaimed.

Char noted Tracy giving her boys a sharp look, and she suspected that was the only reason they hadn’t shouted out the swearing fine again. When Char looked into Toni’s eyes, she paused as she scrutinized her reaction to the proposal. It wasn’t that Toni’s somewhat flippant response bothered her—that was Toni. Something told her this proposal was anything but a surprise and that pissed her off. She would get to the bottom of that when they were alone.

I hope all of you have something to be thankful for this year. If you want to read the whole short story, feel free to click the link below. It happens to be on Kindle Unlimited as well. Also feel free to check out my other books!

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