C. Margery Kempe's Blog: Lady Smut, page 193

Glorious Galway

by C. Margery Kempe

How is that not glorious? Well, it is to be sure. It's hard to take a bad photo of Galway. The dramatic seascape on Salthill always provides me with some delights. The sky, too, offers wonderful images.

This is where I like to walk along the sea and just idle. That's the greatest gift of this time in Galway: the freedom to idle. I am doing work: I'm giving a talk on Tuesday. And I am gathering research for my spring course. If you're a writer, why not take my survey about the writer's life in the digital age? I want to get your thoughts — is it all gloom and doom, or nothing but blue skies for you? Chances are it's somewhere in between, I suppose.

It's getting nearer to Xmas and the annual Xmas market is out in Eyre Square. I can see the tents from my kitchen window. There are lots of crowds and the colorful lights add a touch of romance to the square. It's odd for me to not be a Grinch (especially looking down upon the square at all the noise noise noise) but I guess I am too happy to begrudge anyone their fun. I might even take a spin on the carousel.

I hope to get back to work on the Chastity Flame sequel over the holidays while I'm in Scotland. That's the plan anyway. I have so many stories whirling around in my head. There are a couple of academic things I need to complete (one's already badly over due >_<) but my mind is all stories, not analysis. That's what Ireland does; it is the land of magic, of poets, of magpies. I find myself smiling all the time as I walk along the streets of Galway. I'm just soaking it all in. It will become work eventually, just not yet. Besides, who can contemplate work after a breakfast like this?

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, erotic romance, historical romance, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, romance, What inspires you?, Writer's Life, Writing Topics

A Christmas Carol by Gerri Brousseau

One of the most famous and beloved tales of the Christmas season is "A Christmas Carol" which was a story penned by Charles Dickens and first published by Chapman and Hall on December 17, 1843.  I started to do some research about this story and was surprised to find it was actually a novella.  I discovered Dickens actually modeled his tale after Washington Irving's "The Pickwick Papers," wherein he relates the tale of Gabriel Grub, a lonely and mean-spirited sexton, who undergoes a Christmas conversion after being visited by goblins, who show him the past and future – the prototype of A Christmas Carol.

According to Wikipedia, Dickens began to write A Christmas Carol in October 1843, and completed the book in six weeks with the final pages written in the beginning of December. (Did they have Nanowrimo back then?)  As the result of a feud with his publisher over the meager earnings on his previous novel, Dickens declined a lump-sum payment for the tale, chose a percentage of the profits in hopes of making more money thereby, and published the work at his own expense.  High production costs however brought him a mere £230 (equal to £19,128 today) rather than the £1,000 (equal to £83,164 today) he expected and needed, as his wife was once again pregnant.

Modestly priced at five shillings (equal to £20.79 today), the first run of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve and the book continued to sell well into the New Year.  By May 1844, a seventh edition had sold out. In all, twenty-four editions ran in its original form.  In spite of the disappointing profits for the author, the book was a huge artistic success with most critics responding positively.  I guess it's safe to say EVERY author has struggles in publication.  Sure wish I could pen a novel or novella which would withstand time as A Christmas Carol has.

I was surprised to discover Dickens' conflicting feelings for his father as a result of humiliating childhood experiences, gave rise to his protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge.  Dickens both loved and demonized his father, and it was this psychological conflict that was responsible for the two radically different Scrooges in the tale – one Scrooge, a cold, stingy, and greedy semi-recluse, and the other Scrooge, a benevolent, sociable man whose generosity and goodwill toward all men earn for him a near-saintly reputation.   It was during that terrible period in Dickens' childhood that he observed the lives of the men, women, and children in the most impoverished areas of London and witnessed the social injustices they suffered.

Dickens was touched by the lot of poor children in the middle decades of the 19th century.  In early 1843, he toured the Cornish tin mines where he saw children working in appalling conditions.  The suffering he witnessed there was reinforced by visits to other such institutions and caused Charles to become an advocate for these children.

In a fund-raising speech on October 5, 1843 at the Manchester Athenæum (a charitable institution serving the poor), Dickens urged workers and employers to join together to combat ignorance with educational reform, and realized in the days following that the most effective way to reach the broadest segment of the population with his social concerns about poverty and injustice was to write a deeply-felt Christmas narrative rather than polemical pamphlets and essays.  It was during his three days in Manchester, he conceived the plot of Carol.

In the middle 19th century, a nostalgic interest in pre-Cromwell Christmas traditions swept Victorian England.  That interest was further stimulated by Prince Albert's introduction of the Christmas tree in 1841, the first Christmas card in 1843, and a revival in carol singing.  Dickens' Carol was one of the greatest influences in rejuvenating the old Christmas traditions of England, but, while it brings to the reader images of light, joy, warmth, and life it also brings strong and unforgettable images of darkness, despair, coldness, sadness and death.  Scrooge himself is the embodiment of winter, and, just as winter is followed by spring and the renewal of life, so too is Scrooge's cold, pinched heart restored to the innocent goodwill he had known in his childhood and youth.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, the tale begins on Christmas Eve in the 1840′s, exactly seven years after the death of Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner, Jacob Marley. Scrooge is established within the first stave as a greedy and stingy businessman, who has no place in his life for kindness, compassion, charity or benevolence.  After being warned by Marley's ghost to change his ways (so that he may avoid a the miserable afterlife Marley is experiencing), Scrooge is visited by three additional ghosts; each in its turn, and each visit detailed in a separate stave, who accompany him to various scenes with the hope of achieving his transformation.

The first spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to the scenes of his boyhood and youth, which stir the old miser's gentle and tender side by reminding him of a time when he was more innocent.  The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to several radically differing scenes (a joy-filled market of people buying the makings of Christmas dinner, the family feast of Scrooge's near-impoverished clerk, Bob Cratchit, in order to evince from the miser a sense of responsibility for his fellow man.  The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, harrows Scrooge with dire visions of the future if he does not learn and act upon what he has witnessed.  Scrooge's own neglected and untended grave is revealed, prompting the miser to vow he will change his ways in hopes of changing these "shadows of what may be."

In the end, Scrooge awakens Christmas morning with joy and love in his heart, then spends the day with his nephew's family after anonymously sending a prize turkey to the Cratchit home for Christmas dinner.  Scrooge has become a different man overnight, and now treats his fellow men with kindness, generosity and compassion, gaining a reputation as a man who embodies the spirit of Christmas.  The story closes with the narrator confirming the validity, completeness and permanence of Scrooge's transformation.

I wonder as I sit here in 2011, what is it about this particular tale that has caused it to withstand the test of time and remained so popular.  Do we, as human beings strive to find the good in people? Do we have an innate belief that good will always triumph?  What is it about this tale that continues to draw us?

Writers: There is still time. Three more days to enter. Deadline approaching!  Don't miss the Write Stuff contest open to all writers of all genres.  Winners are paid $100. December 5 deadline to enter.  For more information, visit: http://ctrwa.org/writestuff/

Filed under: romance

Upcoming News and Reader Appreciation

I appreciate my readers.  To that end, I'm announcing the upcoming contests that I'm doing.

Next Friday, I will be doing a giveaway on Nights of Passion.  Don't know what it will be yet.  It will be announced that Friday.

December 3rd, I'm doing a Contest and Guesting at Romancing the Genres Blog.  Do drop by and enter.  http://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com  It's going to be fun.

December 7th, I'm guesting on Tilly Greene's blog.  It's just a lot of fun.  Here's the link:  http://tillygreene.blogspot.com/search/label/Perfect%20Gift%20is%20a%20Book%20Event or http://bit.ly/syb8od

If you are a writer, I can heartily recommend this contest.  Why because my romance chapter CTRWA runs it.  Their critiques are tremendously helpful.  Please, go to the link and check it out.  Deadline approaching!  Don't miss the Write Stuff contest open to all writers of all genres.  Winners are paid $100. December 5 deadline to enter.  For more information, visit: http://ctrwa.org/writestuff/

Getting back to appreciating readers, we're planning a grand event–The Twelve Days of Christmas.  Twelve days of entertainments and contests.   So get ready.  The excitement doesn't end.  LOL

Thanks so much for visiting us, and now y0u have a heads up on the good stuff coming.–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: contest, Helping Other Writers, Susan Hanniford Crowley

25 More Days Till Christmas by Gerri Brousseau

It's official.  The Christmas season is upon us.  The radio is playing carols, television is flooded with Christmas specials, and stores are full of frantic shoppers fighting for the best price on that flat screen TV.  I saw today on the news that some crazed shopper sprayed mace in the faces of the crowd at WalMart (Los Angeles, CA 11/25/11) and customers were tasered by police at a WalMart in Connecticut.  The season has gotten out of control.  I actually saw a Christmas special on television two-weeks before Halloween! I mean, seriously?

But, I don't panic.  With twenty-five days to go, I have to admit, I have yet to start my shopping.  At some point between now and Christmas, I will make my way to the stores or order on line.  I don't seem to mind the crowds as most people are in a cheerful mood; after all, it is Christmas.  There is a certain romance about this season, when magic seems to fill the air, and those who are normally of short temper seem to mellow and grow some patience.  With Christmas carols piped in through the speakers at the stores, I often find myself humming or singing along regardless of onlookers, who seem to only smile.

The smells of baking and fresh cut pine trees abound.  Homes become decorated with the soft glow of tiny sparkling lights, whose beauty can only be enhanced by falling snow.   It's the time of year to write a few thoughtful and kind words in a Christmas card I will send across the miles to let a friend know I wish them well and am thinking of them at this time of year.

I also take great pride in wrapping my gifts.  I believe the outside of the package should entice the eye and be just as wonderful as the treasure that lies within.  My packages are often adorned with clusters of glitter covered pine cones or sprigs of holly.  Colorful paper and satin ribbon that matches, or lovely gift bags overflowing with matching tissue paper and ribbon.  (Martha Stewart, move over!)

I try not to get caught up in the hype, but rather to sit back and enjoy the holiday and all it brings.  So, today I begin.  I create my list, and will check it twice; scan the flyers to see if anyone is offering a bargain; check out my favorite online shopping spots and one by one, the list will dwindle to nothing.

Hopefully between now and Christmas, it will snow and that is the day I will listen to Christmas CDs while I decorate my tree.  Each ornament holds a special memory, from the hand print adorned in glitter covered macaroni my son made in first grade, to the antique ornaments made of wax which my parents had on their first tree.  Each gives me a smile as I carefully give it its place of honor on my tree each year.

Yes, the season is upon us … the season of giving, for sharing and loving.  This year, please take the time to enjoy the magic and romance of this special season.  Take a moment and share with us something about this time of year that is special for you.  Please share your memories with us.

As an aside for readers who are also writers, there is a writing contest going on at CTRWA. Please see below:  Deadline approaching!  Don't miss the Write Stuff contest open to all writers of all genres.  Winners are paid $100. December 5 deadline to enter.  For more information, visit: http://ctrwa.org/writestuff/

Filed under: romance

Let's Hear it for Holiday Spirit

As I'm writing this, I'm hoping all of you readers had a great Thanksgiving. I was a bit under the weather but it was wonderful nonetheless. And as I sit here thinking of the holidays I'm really starting to pull out what I love. I love Christmas songs on the radio (of course at an appropriate time and not around Halloween). I love the smells of chimneys working, cookies baking, Christmas trees and cinnamon. I love hearing little kids sing carols or feeling the kiss of snow as it hits your nose and cheeks. The truth is there is so much more I love but it would take an entire blog or more to list them out and either way, we all appreciate different things about the holidays.

I will tell you though, at no point did I ever recall loving pepper spray and tasers around the holidays, which makes it all the more disappointing when you hear about various incidents that occurred on Black Friday.

Don't get me wrong. I believe our economy needs all the help it can get, and while I don't believe one day of shopping (even really good shopping) is going to change our economic situation, every little bit does help. But that doesn't mean we should forget what the holidays are truly about and why they mean so much to so many of us.

The holiday season in general is a time of giving, sacrifice, family and love. We love this time because it entices us to let bygones be bygones and get together with those who mean the most. It happens but it is not about fighting in stores or hurting those around us.

As this season gets into full swing and you all enjoy this time, please remember to relish that holiday spirit and encourage those around you to do the same. In the meantime, happy writing and good luck squeezing it in over the next few weeks!

Filed under: Toni Kelly, Writer's Life

A BIt of a Twist on Dessert by Debralee Mede

Its holiday time again and it is the season and time of year to enjoy the delightful gastronomic pleasures guilt-free, more or less.  Just the thought of those old fashioned goodies your grandma and mom used to make that drive you right into and gustatory orgasm of delight.  That's not to mention the warmth and comfort that the memory of eating that pleasurable food brings like warm, creamy freshly made pumpkin pie or maybe you had a wonderfully bronzed roasted goose on the table?  How about heavenly green bean casserole with just a bit of cheddar cheese and crisp bacon added?  Or one can't forget the savory collard greens and black-eyed peas?  What about the memories of rich rum-spiked eggnog served with a slight sprinkling of eggnog served in a crystal cup?  Oh and the crisp, golden, piping hot latkes served with apple sauce and sour cream are so welcoming.  How about some well-brandied Figgie Pudding or rum-imbibed fruit cake?  Ah but this time I have a suggestion:  a recipe for a steamed pudding that is really popular across the briny pond in Great Britain.  It a great dessert anytime or year and some find it to be a good bedtime snack.

Okay, it isn't a low calorie dessert by any means but you can't beat it served dripping with a luscious custard cream sauce.  So forget the calories for now and just resign yourself to going through the roof when those taste buds get a wallop of pure pleasure.  You will feel satiated after one serving and will want nothing more than to drift off into a state of gustatory bliss. You will savor every luscious little drop you swallow.   The cake, or as they call it in England pudding, is a dough made from suet, flour, milk and, of course, raisins.  The recipe that I have uses butter instead of suet is still full of fat and calories but will be a holiday treat or a gratifying morsel any time of year.  If you can look past its name, Spotted Dick, you will have eight ample servings to please your guests.

Spotted Dick

Ingredients

9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons superfine sugar (but regular sugar can be substituted).
4 large beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups self-rising flour (it must be self-rising)
2 2/3 cups whole milk
1 cup currants or raisins
Custard Sauce (recipe follows)

Preparation

 Butter and lightly dust with flour a Pyrex bowl or eight ramekins.
Trace and cut out either eight circles of parchment paper to fit ramekins or one large piece to fit Pyrex bowl.  These will be used to cover the dough as they steam so that they are not moistened but the rising drops of sweat as the hot steam rises in the bath as it cooks.
Using a double boiler fitted with a six quart stock pot fitted with a round cooling rack so that the one inch of water you need to steam the cakes can be added to the pot while still shying away from the bottoms of the bowls that cradle the soft and pliable uncooked dough.
With an electric appliance or rubber spoon gently mix one and one-fourth cups sugar until pale, fluffy for about four to five minutes; then add eggs, one at a time, slowly and deliberately beating well after each addition, stroking the sides of bowl periodically,  finally adding the smooth vanilla essence .
Sift flour into medium bowl and toss dried fruit to coat each piece.
Gradually beat flour into egg mixture until combined.
Then add three tablespoons of milk and beat the mixture again until smooth.  This should only take about thirty seconds.
Transfer the rich batter to the prepared bowl or ramekins, smoothing the top so that the sweet mix is tidy avoiding any dripping on the sides.
Cover the bowl or each ramekin with parchment paper circle(s), or foil if you have nothing else, pressing gently on the contents as if trying to make a cozy nest for the batter.
Transfer the bowl or ramekins to the steamer after you have achieved moderately high heat and the water is just at a simmer, and then cover the pan tightly.
At this point lower the heat to moderate, adding more boiling water to the pan if necessary.  This step in cooking takes about two hours for the large Pyrex bowl to steam and about one hour for the ramekins until your Spotted Dick is set.
Serve with a generous portion of the custard sauce recipe included below or you may choose to use an ample portion of whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or even Crème Anglaise for that exotic, je ne sais quoi, flair.

Custard Sauce

You will need:

Three egg yolks
One tablespoon of superfine sugar (granulated sugar will do in a pinch)
One cup of whole milk
One fourth teaspoon of vanilla extract.


Heat the milk in a saucepan until it is nearly boiling.
Meanwhile whisk the yolks and sugar together in a bowl.
Temper the eggs with the hot milk before whisking the hot milk into the egg mixture. Tempering allows you to slowly raise the temperature of your eggs to the temperature of a hot liquid and serves the purpose of preventing the yolks from turning into scrambled eggs. (Take a cup or so of your hot milk mixture and very, very slowly dribble it into your egg yolks, whisking continually. Continue in this manner until about half the milk mixture has been incorporated with the yolks. Slowly pour all of the new yolk/milk mixture into one bowl).
Put the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or a double boiler and stir over the indirect heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, this will further prevent curdling the custard.
Finally stir in the vanilla essence and more sugar, according to taste.
Strain and serve warm over a tasty portion of Spotted Dick.

Whether you're feeling insatiably hungry or you have a hankering for something a little sweet; even if you've been naughty or a wee bit nasty, or if you need a treat after a long dose of dietary celibacy then this is worth a try.  Forgive the euphemism in its name and the not-so-subtle turns of expression used in this recipe because if you give Spotted Dick a crack you won't want to turn back and every Fanny Farmer you may know is sure to be envious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Debralee Mede, Decadant Dessert, Holiday, recipe

Weekly Paranormal-Scope

While I'm not qualified in any way to read neither stars nor planet, I am intimately linked with the paranormal in the world.

The week ahead for:

Aries

Orcs can be loud and obnoxious. Avoid them. Focus on people with positive outlooks.

Taurus

An elf has invited you to dance.  Do it.  This new opportunity may open doors.

Gemini

A day walker offers to take you out for a bite.  Don't be dessert. Things are not what they seem.

Cancer

Vampires like to joke around, but sometimes jokes hurt.   Stay focused on what's at stake and don't take things personally.

Leo

Bask in the last rays of warmth.  It's going to get cold in more ways than one.  Become ablaze with new ideas, and people will be drawn to you like the luna moth to the moon.

Virgo

Werewolves have invited you to join the pack.  Enjoy the run.  It's an freeing experience.

Libra

Good news will send you soaring.  Yes, someone has sprinkled pixie dust on you.

Scorpio

Shapeshifters know flexibility is key.  Pay attention and move with the flow.

Sagittarius

A hippogriff is waiting to take you on a ride.  Enjoy the new experience.

Capricorn

An elf has asked you to dance.  Let go of your inhibitions and the past and put on your dancing shoes.

Aquarius

A yeti left a snowball at your door.  This snowy gift is an omen of surprising things to come.

Pieces

Gnomes are homebodies.  They love your home and want to inspire you to decorate just a tad more.  It will lift their spirits and yours.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Susan Hanniford Crowley, Weekly Paranormal-Scope

Gratitude (and a Gift for You)

by C. Margery Kempe

I am thankful to find myself far from the frenzied life that is holiday season in the States. When I hear of people pepper-spraying one another and even shooting at fellow shoppers in line to fight for "bargains" I feel like kissing the soil of Ireland. We're not without the commercial side of the season here. As I look out my window here in Galway, I can see the Christmas Market down in the square below me. The lights have gone up on Shop Street and last week in Dublin, there was a big to-do when Michael Bublé switched on the holiday lights on Grafton Street.

But it's not the same: even though Ireland suffers deeply from the economic downturn, there's not the hysteria generated in the US. Black Friday: the very words give me a shudder. There's a terrible desperation in some people that betrays an attempt to buy happiness. While we all need a certain amount of things to survive, it's actually far less than we often believe. Having put most of my belongings into a 5′ x 15′ storage unit then moved to another country I begin to wonder if I really need any of it. Oh, I like all my books and CDs and DVDs, but when it comes down to it, I guess I can get along without them. After a certain point, it's not we who own the stuff but the stuff that owns us, as the wonderful George Carlin pointed out so well.

We have more than we know: our lives are filled with abundance. All the possessions in the world do not matter if we do not have work we love and a peaceful heart. Every life needs purpose. If you are doing your true work you will find happiness even if you are not well remunerated. If you have a loving heart, you will find love as long as you do not allow fear to rule it. The simple lessons I find I have to keep relearning, but they are no less true. Philosophers from the time of the ancients have known the importance of a grateful heart. Science, too, has been discovering the power of gratitude.

This holiday season don't just mouth the platitudes: be truly grateful. Praise the joys in your life. As we head to the darkest days of the year (in the north anyway) light a candle and show gratitude for the abundance in your life. Give the gift of your love to those who need it most, give the precious gift of your time. You will never regret spending it.

The gift I have for you: the above collection The 12 Hot Days of Christmas which includes my story "Twelve Drummers Drumming" is free for the rest of the weekend from All Romance eBooks. All Ravenous Romance titles are half off, including my sizzling novel Chastity Flame.  My words are my true work: I am grateful to have people with whom to share them.

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, erotic romance, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, movies, Noble Romance, What inspires you?, Writer's Life

The Devil is in The Details by Gerri Brousseau

When I first started writing, I introduced a character with an accent.  Typing it was difficult and when I tried reading it aloud, it was even more difficult.  Then I discovered it was not recommended that a writer actually write in dialect.  Hmmmm … I had to give this some thought.  Then I remembered my friends who have moved here from England, very lovely people I enjoy spending time with.  In getting to know them, I discovered even though we are both speaking English, we often times are not speaking the same language.  For example, what we in the United States refer to as a "baked" potato, my British friends call a "jacket" potato.  When we "Americans" go to the bathroom, my Brit friends are "skipping off to the Loo."  The "elevator" to them is the "lift", "sausages" are "bangers", and "cigarettes" are fags."  They would never say they would "give you a call," but they will "ring you up."  They really do say "Bloody Hell," "Blimey" and I have actually heard one say "Crickie" and I would never, ever, tell one of them to "bugger off."

They do not look at our patriotic celebration of the Fourth of July with quite the same vigor and enthusiasm we do, and although they have lived in the United States for years, they still consider themselves to be Brits.  And above all, although they have never actually personally met her, they do truly love their Queen.

I have discovered in a lot of ways they are very much like us.  They love their families and want the same things we do, good jobs, comfortable homes, a good education and better lives for their children.  It was easy to see the similarities, but what captured my attention was not those similarities, but rather, the differences.

As I am working on my novel, I must keep these differences in mind because the little details matter.   These small nuances draw our readers into the worlds we have created and make those worlds real for them.  Rather than trying to type out an "English" accent, we draw on the differences and nuances so our reader will hear the accent in our character's voice even though we didn't type it out on the page in an awkward and difficult text.

Have you ever had a character with an accent, or from another country?  How did you handle writing that character's voice?  Have you ever read a novel where the dialect or accent is written on the page?  What did you think as you were struggling through trying to read it?

Filed under: romance

After Thanksgiving–Be Kind to Yourself

Hi Everyone,

I feel asleep yesterday at 9 pm.  Why?  Thanksgiving dinner.  Computer crashing.   Running virus and malware scans.  Thanksgiving with the family was lovely.  It always is.

Today is Black Friday in the United States.  What does that mean?  All the stores want to be in the Black economically for at least one day.  Consequently many sales started at Midnight with huge discounts on prime items.  People waited in line in the cold waiting for the doors to open at Midnight.  I did that once.  Now I shop on Sunday or online.  I'm an online type of gal.  LOL

With all this comes a lot of stress.  This is the time to be kind to yourself.  Let me give you some ways.

1.  To clear the mind and feel progress–make a list of what you want to do in the coming weeks–make a gift list

2.  Take a bubble bath.  Okay, I know some of our guy readers are not into that, but fragrant bath salts can really soothe you.   Even an Epsom Salts bath will to the trick.  Epsom Salts makes the bath hotter.  If you ache, it's wonderful.

3.  Set yourself up with a nice cup of tea, hot cocoa, or an alcoholic beverage and put on a favorite movie.

4. Play a game.  It could be a board game with family or friends or a computer game.  If you're on Facebook, I recommend Pet Society.  It always makes me laugh.  My pet is Bon Bon.  Please, friend me and let me know who you Pet is and I will try to send you a gift.  Today it's acting a bit glitchy.  I think a ton of people are there de-stressing.

5. Take a nap.

6.  Listen to music and lay back and close your eyes.  Okay, this might end up being a nap, but that's okay.  Sometimes the human body needs rest.

7.  Enjoy a hobby.  I enjoy beading.  A daughter of mine enjoys crocheting.  She makes beautiful scarfs.

8.  Go out to a movie.  Sometimes I really love the theater experience.

9.  Go out to dinner.

10. Visit a friend you can kick back with.

These are only a few of my ideas to de-stress.

Now for the fun things coming up.  We are planning parties for the  first two  Fridays and maybe Saturdays in December.  I am guest blogging with a contest on December 3rd at http://www.romancingthegenres.blogspot.com

They recently did a wonderful review for A Vampire for Christmas  http://romancingthegenres.blogspot.com/2011/11/reviewinga-vampire-for-christmas.html

On December 7th, I am going to be at Tilly Greene's blog:  http://tillygreene.blogspot.com/search/label/Perfect%20Gift%20is%20a%20Book%20Event   It will be fun.

Thanks so much for visiting during your busy day.  Please, take time for yourself.  Enjoy life.

–Susan

Susan Hanniford Crowley

Filed under: Life, Like, Susan Hanniford Crowley, Writer's Life