Chloe Holiday's Blog, page 10
March 17, 2022
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
My earliest memories of St. Patrick’s Day are of being chased on the playground, fleeing the pinching fingers of my classmates. Over the next few years, it proved a perfect excuse for interaction with boys, who were otherwise best avoided. All I knew otherwise was that leprechauns existed, presiding over a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and that St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland.
Imagine my disappointment when I learned the truth about my gullible assumption that these were real “snakes”—apparently, it refers to his efforts to supplant the pagan Druids. There never were any snakes in Ireland—when the land mass was connected, it was too chilly for them, and it’s been an island for millennia. Interestingly, the snake-free nature of the country has made snake ownership into a status symbol.
St. Patrick’s Day has been decried as becoming too tacky and commercialized as well as perpetuating Irish stereotypes, particularly for drunkenness. The association with booze came about because the Lenten restrictions on alcohol were raised for the day. It was traditional to “wet the shamrock” at the end of celebrations by putting a shamrock into the bottom of a mug, which was then filled with whiskey. The shamrock was either swallowed, or tossed over the shoulder for good luck.
Pat himself was the son of a wealthy 5th century British Roman family who was kidnapped by Irish raiders. He spent six years herding sheep before he could escape and returned later to spread Christianity. He used the shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity.
OK, but we can count on green as legitimate, for the original color association, right? After all, they tint beer that color. Um, no. When the Order of St. Patrick was formed in 1743, they chose azure blue as their color, which is still seen in heraldic dress and insignia. Lebor Gabála Érenn is a text from the Middle Ages containing Irish stories and historical legends. One relates the story of a boy named Glas who was saved from snakebite by Moses, who placed his staff on the wound, told him it would turn green to remind him of the episode, and that he would lead his people to a land free of snakes. Glas is the Irish word for green, and the “green harp” flag of the Irish Catholic Confederation, as well as other nationalistic organizations, led to green supplanting blue as the color associated with St. Patrick in the late 19th century.
Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival—even in the International Space Station!
Get your green on, and then go forth and pinch someone!
March 16, 2022
Stick a Fork in it!
Tricia needs to liquidate assets to keep her late grandmother’s orchard, but Travis claims he had a handshake deal to buy the crop duster…
I’ll put links up on Goodreads and Bookbub after the cover reveal on 4/18, but here it is on Amazon (preorder for .99/free on KU): https://tinyurl.com/ycy7nzre
Photographer Tricia Carlisle inherits her beloved grandmother’s orchard and leaves Chicago for her Texas roots, steeling herself to be immune to the charms of the small town—and those of Travis Walker, who stood her up on prom night seven years ago. Worse, she arrives only to find Nana’s place is in foreclosure. To have any hope of saving it, Tricia has no choice but to sell down assets—including her grandfather’s crop duster.
Travis Walker loses his last true friend when Nana Carlisle passes. Will his handshake deal to buy her crop duster survive now that Tricia is taking over? She’s cash-strapped and probably still hates his guts. He needs that plane—it’s his ticket out of this small town that sees him as a crook—but it’s on Tricia’s radar now.
Fly Boy is a steamy, stand-alone second-chance novella in the All-American Boy Series. It’s set in Deacon, Texas—home to sexy country boys and sassy, tough women. Warm, lazy afternoons in a hammock and swimming holes in a shady creek. Hot, heavenly Tex-Mex and even hotter kisses.
Come on down, y’all!
March 12, 2022
The Ronin Report
This last week has been a blur, since we rescued Ronin, a 9-month-old Aussie from near Portland. He weighed only 35 pounds, had the fur rubbed off his belly from wearing a diaper, and was bitey, unable to walk through a room without grabbing at shoes, clothes, hands…
I’m pleased to report that he’s now housetrained, going in and out through the dog door like a champ, gaining weight, and polite on and off the leash. He gets along with Gus and Ginger, too.
He’s a hungry boy! I’m going to need a LOT more KU reads to keep up with his puppy chow, but it’s so worth it–he’s a real sweetheart!
March 1, 2022
Cover Reveal: All American Boy Series M/M Romances!
SERIES COVER REVEAL
Are you ready to set sail with these hot new boys from the All American Boy Series?
The All American Boy Series is proud to deliver 9 new MM romance books in the shared world experience you’ve come to know and love. All books are standalone novellas with some cross-over elements.
Books included in this gay romance series are:
The Boy is Mine by Shane K. Morton – April 5th
Green Eyed Boy by BL Maxwell – April 6th
Sailor Boy by Kris Jacen – April 7th
The Boy on the Horizon by David Michael – April 8th
Devin’s Boys by Layla Dorine – April 11th
Pretty Boy by Sierra Hill writing as K.C. Kassidy – April 12th
Boy Overboard by Miski Harris – April 13th
Summer Boy by TL Travis – April 14th
Not a Boy by Elle Keaton – April 15th
Series subscriber page: https://www.subscribepage.com/all-american-boy-series
February 28, 2022
Nibbling Away
I’m so excited to report that I’ve just finished the final draft of Fly Boy! It’s brought in such comments as “only you could make bugs sexy” from my alpha readers, so my work here is done! Now comes formatting, then it’s off to Serafina for the audiobook version. The goats in the pic are not THE goats, though the story does have a couple of baby goats in it; the real cover will be revealed April 18.
Fly Boy is up for preorder now, for release on May 5th!
February 21, 2022
Mail Call
I got this reply from a reader, in response to my “Secret Code of Fire Hydrants” newsletter:
“Never knew the fire hydrant color meant something! We have silver ones. What does THAT mean? Huh???”
Glad you asked! While the red vs yellow body to indicate ownership and the different color bonnets are now standard, many municipalities have their own colors, for example, white or silver in order to increase nocturnal visibility, rather than the “standard” colors rendered in reflective paint. So, your local results may vary!
February 16, 2022
Any Book Bloggers Want to Come?
Any book bloggers want in? Sign up here for the new All American Boy Series by Evan Grace, Lexi Noir, Chloe Holiday, Ashley Munoz, MK Moore, Taylor Delong, Nicole Richard, Amanda Shelley, and E.S. McMillian https://forms.gle/93jv8P9Xno4vuCM48
Sign up here https://forms.gle/93jv8P9Xno4vuCM48
February 12, 2022
A Spiky Valentine for You!
Here’s a Valentine for you! It’s a little… spiky and dark, perhaps, but still! Get Love is a Drug free from Sunday through Wednesday, on Amazon.
February 3, 2022
High Speed, Low Drag
“High speed, low drag” is a military phrase, but applies well to general aviation. Just for fun, I’m going to use my coaster set which features old-school “steam gauges” to illustrate the Airspeed Indicator.
The Airspeed Indicator functions on the difference in pressure between the static port (a flat round plate with some holes) on the aircraft and the pitot tube (pronounced PEE Toe) which faces forward. The faster the air molecules hit, the faster the aircraft is going, which is depicted as indicated airspeed. However, since air density depends on temperature and altitude (thinner air way high, or when it’s hot), that can affect the true airspeed. The normal operating airspeed is indicated in green on the gauge, in knots (1.15 mph) and miles per hour. The more you open up the throttle, the faster you go up to a point. A tail wind can make a huge difference, too.
The white arc shows the normal “flap operating range” and thus the typical speeds for approaches and landings.
The yellow arc indicates speeds that are safe in smooth air only. Try them in turbulent, rough air, and you’ll risk damage to the aircraft.
The red line indicates speeds at which the operator risks structural damage or failure.
Do any of these indicate stall speeds? Not really–an airplane can stall at any speed, depending on the pitch/angle of attack.
One thing that’s important pre-flight is to inspect the static port and the pitot tubes. If these are blocked with ice, covers, debris, wasp nests, etc. they can lead to inaccurate airspeeds, making it harder to judge safe landing and takeoff speeds. It’s a touch of realism, for my aviator to do a pre-flight inspection in my WIP.
See you next time!
January 24, 2022
Sausage Making: No Easy Match
Seeing the sausage being made can sometimes be fun! I’m revising my first AlphaMed story, No Easy Match, and thought I’d share some of the comments I got on my first draft.
Whoa whoa whoa. First the whole ureter thing, now you’re gonna try to pass off a woman as a doctor with a man has her nurse?
Yeah! Finally a REAL man, not like that girly nurse Carl!
Oooooooh. This says it all about him.
Too funny. Cultural clash, anyone?
Trendy new name, or typo? 
Ugh, what a twit.
Good hook, wondering if she’s going to get in trouble with Grimes for this.
And now I’m hungry. For a bacon cheeseburger. It’s 5am. THANKS FOR THAT.
Fries. I want fries too. *glares*
LOL, gruesome and cute at the same time. And kudos to you! What a great way to show description!
Wow, what kind of magic pungent crayon are these that they fill the air and overtake the smell of bleach?
Impressive. Hard to slam those lightweight plastic cups, especially when they are full of cola without it flying all over the place.
That’s a cool way of saying “fake smile”! Nice.
Lots of tension here. Too many things to go wrong, personal desires, and weaknesses near the surface.
Yikes. This is so complicated. Grimes knew how she’d react and set her up. I hope he gets his…
LOL, I’m not sure if I like Rick yet, but he’s funny.
More show, less tell. Also…remorseless thing…is that what the kids are calling it these days? 
Hooray for my fantastic critique partners!
