Vivian Arend's Blog, page 58

12 Days of Giving #11

Time to reach out and touch someone. The challenge today is to let someone you know you appreciate them.

Give someone a hug.

There’s no way I could make it without my friends. At this time of year I’m thinking about the people who have made a difference in my life, and the list goes on and on. Today, even if it’s a one-liner, or a one minute phone call, let at least three people know you are happy they are in your life.

And I’ve got gifts to give away. Some people I appreciate (I could list more but have to stop somewhere!) 

Moira Rogers, Lauren Dane, Elle Kennedy, Maya Banks

During 2012, these authors encouraged me to write the next word, to take the next step. They’ve been supportive and demanding when needed, and I love them for it.

So my gift is to give your friends. Or you–I’ve got one book from each of these authors to giveaway. If I pull your name for –Moira Rogers– and you’ve read all her books, then you get to ask me to send your favorite to your friend. (ebook or print, your choice as long as I can get it to you somehow)

Leave a comment to let me know who you’re going to give an extra hug today!

12 Days of Giving #10

Time to refocus…

Give a whole lot of Thanks.

When my kids were young and we lived in a rather remote location, I found a homeschooling community online. It was wonderful to have ‘adult’ conversation during the day, even though it was all written communication. The funniest thing though–I remember a lot of the ladies mentioning taking from Thanksgiving to Christmas off from formal schooling with their littlest children since the kids got lots of informal school writing Christmas cards, doing math during baking, etc.

I thought this was the most extraordinary thing. Take off from mid-october to Dec 25? Crazy! Then I realized they were taking about US Thanksgiving to December 25, which isn’t as insane as it sounds.

But let’s go a step farther. We’ve been busy lately, really busy, right? And there are moments of frustration that sneak in and make us want to throw up our hands or sit down and have a good cry. I challenge you to stop for just a minute and make a Thankful List. Fifteen things in fifteen minutes or less. What are you thankful about this year? From the BIG picture down to the littler things. Because it’s tough to be stressed over what’s happening in our lives while we’re being thankful for what’s happening in our lives.

One commenter will get a $10 Amazon or B&N gift certificate! You don’t have to share your 15 things if you don’t want, but leave me a comment to be entered for the gift.

12 Days of Giving #9

It’s Friday, there are four more shopping days until Christmas, and if it’s not bought, wrapped and shipped already, it’s probably not getting to where it’s going on time. You have a houseful of people descending in a few days and the house needs to be scrubbed from top to bottom still. Panic setting in?

Give up trying to make things perfect.

Yeah, this is a bit of a revisit to the ‘Give yourself a break’ idea, but really. Think it through. The people who are coming to see you are coming to see you, (and your kids  ) and if the house is clean, but not picture perfect, are they really going to mind? Now be honest–some of us have people coming over who we could scrub for three weeks in prep for their arrival, and these peeps would still find something to complain about, re-organize or clean to a better standard.

:head desk:

So what’s the solution? Try even harder to meet a standard that you can never achieve, or take a look around and make sure your house, your menu and yourself are the way you want them?

I suppose the flip side of this challenge is to make sure our expectations of others are reasonable. Our partners can’t know the perfect gift for us if we don’t tell them. Our families don’t know how to help if we don’t ask. The whole mind-reading thing works great in stories, but not so much in real life!

If there’s one thing that would really make this season special for you, have you told anyone, or made sure you’ve arranged for it to happen? Because that’s a far more achievable perfect than meeting everyone else’s expectations.

Today’s gift to you is a your choice of one of my print books, signed if possible, or any two of my backlist ebooks. Leave a comment telling me the one place you’d go for the holidays if you could (and which book/books you’d pick  if you win.) I’ll give out gifts to two commenters

12 Days of Giving #8

I promise I’m not going to make too many of these challenges cost $$, but this one might.

Give a kid a gift.

If you have a local charity, you know right now is the time they are really looking for help. Angel Trees, or whatever the organization is called in your location, have the kids names and information already waiting. These are kids who won’t get a present if someone else doesn’t pick their request up. (And the older ones, while not as much fun to buy for, need loving too)

But you know what? There’s also another way you can join this challenge, and it’s no cost and sneaky organization efficient, while also teaching your own kids a lesson in giving. If you’ve got a family, and there will be new ‘stuff’ coming into your house in the next couple weeks, what if you grabbed a box, and had a few ‘old’ toys (kids or otherwise) get passed onto a thrift shop?

It will make more room in the toybox (electronic/computer/kitchen shelf) and the proceeds from good thrift shops turn around by not only providing an inexpensive place to purchase things, but often the profits stay in your community.

~~**~~

I have a Wolf hand puppet with some wolfie things to give away, like a set of Granite Lake Romance Trading cards and an exclusive 2012 ‘Pack Member dog tag’ in purple. This is one of the last of the limited editions ones…;)

Remember, you don’t have to DO the challenge if you can’t, this is just to make us think, right? If you’d like to have your name added for this gift, make a comment about anything holidayish.

12 Days of Giving #7

Moving into high gear today. This challenge might make you squirm:

Give away a book (or two)

I readily admit to cheating on this one. Since I’m reading more and more ebooks, I’ve been cutting back my print collection. As I replace beloved books in digital format, I’ve been passing on the print version to try and hook others…I mean, to share my love of reading. 

If you have a book on your shelf that you simply love–why not pass it on to another to enjoy?

Now, I have two new books to give today to a commentor- Ride is a signed copy. You don’t HAVE to give away a book to enter, just leave a comment. But I hope you take up the challenge!

Welcome to Spindle Cove, where ladies with delicate constitutions come for the sea air, and men in their prime are…nowhere to be found.

Or are they?

Spindle Cove is the destination of choice for certain types of well-bred young ladies: the painfully shy, young wives disenchanted with matrimony, and young girls too enchanted with the wrong men. It is a haven for those who live there.

Victor Bramwell, the new Earl of Rycliff, knows he doesn’t belong here. So far as he can tell, there’s nothing in this place but spinsters…and sheep. But he has no choice, he has orders to gather a militia. It’s a simple mission, made complicated by the spirited, exquisite Susanna Finch–a woman who is determined to save her personal utopia from the invasion of Bram’s makeshift army.

Susanna has no use for aggravating men; Bram has sworn off interfering women. The scene is set for an epic battle…but who can be named the winner when both have so much to lose?

 

What happens in Vegas…sometimes follows you home.

Studs in Spurs, Book 3

Pro bull rider Chase Reese knew things move faster than an eight-second ride in Las Vegas. He just never expected to be driving home with a national championship under his belt and a wedding band on his left hand with no clue how it got there.

Yet he can’t complain about the stripper bride beside him. From the moment his buddies bought him a lap dance from her, her trembles told him there was more to her than stiletto heels.

Leesa Santiago has met the perfect guy. Her timing couldn’t be worse though. If it was just their explosive sex, she could walk away. But from the moment her lap dance brought herthis close to his baby blues, she was hooked. She can’t lie that she couldn’t be happier to bear his name—or guiltier that she’s using it and his Oklahoma farm to hide out from mob hit men.

That’s before Chase’s family gets involved. And his determination to do the right thing pushes her to do the one thing that will keep him safe. Break his heart.

Do cowboy boots mix with stripper heels? And can a love that started out on the wrong foot end up on the right one? That’s the risk you take waking up in Vegas.

Warning: Contains one happy-ending lap dance that will make you squirm, some pretty hot sex between two strangers who also happen to be married to each other, and a huge surprise conclusion.

 

To be entered to win one of these books, leave a comment: Which book would you give away (if you’re brave enough) from off your shelf?

 

12 Days of Giving #6

Make sure you’ve added your name in the FIRST of the 12 Days of Giving posts.

Okay, now that everyone is back; this is another challenge that will take time, but not much money.

Give a letter of encouragement.

Some people are very very good at this. It doesn’t have to be long, like pages and pages, but even a few lines can make a huge difference in a person’s day. Who can you write to? Your parents/ children/ siblings/ friends/ relatives/ teachers/ co-workers/postal carrier/ bank teller/ pastor/ someone in the military service/ and many more.

One year when money was tight, my hubby and I exchanged letters as Christmas gifts. That’s all. A letter. He wrote how much he appreciated me and some of the highlights he saw in our past year. Some of the things he was looking forward to in the coming year. I cried when I read his note, and it meant more to me than any store bought goodie could ever have. I still have that letter…

If you’d like to be entered to receive an ebook ARC of WOLF NIP, you can add your comment here. Let me know- have you ever sent or received a letter that made someone smile? Or is there someone you plan to send one to now?

12 Days of Giving #5

Upping the ante. This one is going to cost you- a little. Ready for the challenge?

Give to the food bank.

Over the holidays we usually have special dinners to prepare or attend. Even when money is tight, we try to have things that make the season special to the family. For years, the only time I bought Gherkin pickles was at Christmas. That $1 jar of tiny sweet pickles always signaled the start of the season to my daughter.

When you’re shopping this week, pick up one extra can of…something, and drop it into the food bank donation bin before you leave the store.

For every person who adds a comment to this thread, I’ll purchase an item for our local food bank. I also have the pick of my backlist in ebook for one commentor. Let me know what special food treat your family enjoys over the holidays.

12 Days of Giving #4

Ready for a challenge? This one might be hard today.  Give someone a smile.

It might be hard, but even a little smile can change things. They say if you smile when you answer the phone, people can hear it in your voice. I know when I’m smiling it makes me feel better. And as we rush around shopping, cooking, working, it’s sometimes difficult to remember what’s going on our face can be intimidating to others.

Giving another person a smile is usually contagious and they’ll give you one right back. Or, they will wonder what you’ve been up to. Win win situation, I say! 

And add your name to this thread to be entered to win an ebook of your choice from Samhain Publishing. Check out the new releases available here: SAMHAIN PUBLISHING. (Prize can be any ebook available there, not just new releases)

12 Days of Giving #3

I debated what to do about this post. There’s been a terrible tragedy in the world, and I don’t want to ignore that fact. But I also know we (I) need to have ordinary, everyday things to keep me busy and keep my mind off the horror.

So I’m continuing with the 12 days, and I hope somewhere in focusing on these activities you’ll find some peace.

((hugs))

———————–

Ready? This holiday season,

Give your body a break.

Yes, yes I did go there. Because it’s not only the season of potlucks, office parties, family dinners and too much chocolate—and yes, there is such a thing as TOO much chocolate— it’s the season of full days with all kinds of have to do NOW activities.

Maybe I’m the only one, but it seems often my exercising gets dropped off the urgent list and my healthy eating habits also get dropped. Double whammy- ick.

But it’s not possible to do it all, so find at least one thing you WILL and WON’T do this season. Like: I WILL make sure I at least get some walking in every day. If that means parking at the far end of the shopping mall, hey, at least you’ve added a few steps to the day. Or how about: I WON’T have more than one treat per day.

Going cold turkey isn’t the idea. Have some fun, but come post-holidays, I know I’m always happier if I’ve not thrown my hands in the air and simply gone hog wild.

You have any specific WILL and WON’T you want to share? Leave a comment and make a commitment! I’ve got a pretty travel mug with a deer on it, plus some lovely swag to go with it, as a gift for one commenter today.

12 Days of Giving #2

The challenge today is to Give someone else a break.

This is an easy one to do for people with small children. Watching someone else’s kids for a couple hours to allow them to have kid free time to shop can be a huge huge help. But everyone can use a little hand once in a while. When you head to the post office, are there packages you could take for a neighbor? If you live in an area that has snow on the ground, can you shovel one more section of sidewalk for someone you know?

It’s opening up our eyes to see what’s actually happening around us that’s the challenge, especially when our to-do list and shopping list seems overloaded already. One small thing can make a big difference in another person’s life.

Give it a shot–make someone’s day!

I’ve got a 1o$ iTunes gift card for one person to take their own break after the holidays. Add any comment today to be entered to win. And make sure you’ve placed your name on the first of the 12 Days with your suggestion of charity.