Vivian Arend's Blog, page 87

12 Days of Giving- #5

This is another challenge that will take time, but not much money.

Give a letter of encouragement.

There are so many people you could do this for. Someone in the military. Someone you've lost touch with who lives far away. One of your children's teacher. Your best friend. Your spouse. Someone that would love to hear from you, and hear you say that they matter to you.

Doesn't have to be a 3 page missive. Even a couple of lines, heartfelt and real. Are you up for the challenge? I hope you are–and I'm going to do this as well. I'm taking all the challenges along with you.

If you'd like to be entered to receive a set of signed cover flats from the Granite Lake wolves, you can add your comment here. Let me know- have you ever sent or received a letter that made someone smile?

12 Days of Giving- #4

Uping the ante today. 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 a special special occasion 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 today, I'll purchase an item for the local food bank where I'm staying. You've got until midnight to add a comment. Let me know what special food treat your family enjoys over the holidays?

12 Days of Giving- #3

Ready for a challenge? This one is EASY. Give someone a smile.

If you want the hero level challenge, make that 5 deliberate smiles. I swear as we've spent a lot of time in the car these days, I see SO many people with frowns on their faces. Deep in thought? Concentrating? Probably, but we leave the car and take that expression with us.

You've all seen that button- If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours. Yeah? DO IT.

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 from My Bookstore and More. (Prize can be any ebook available there, not just new releases)

12 Days of Giving- #2

The challenge today is to Give someone else a break.

I know, there are times while we're out shopping for presents that we'd like to use that phrase and refer to cracking a bat over a head or two. Resist. (If I have to, you have to…)

I'm talking about looking around you and seeing if there's someone you can give a hand to for an hour or two. Or even a minute. Lol- someone suggested letting another person in front of you at the checkout line up. Yeah…if they have a couple items. I'll admit if they have a cartful I'd hesitate.

No- here's an example of what I really mean. When my kids were little I traded a two hour babysitting time with my friend. She got to go shop sans kidlets–and face it, 2 hours kid free shopping  is the equivalent of 5 hours with them along, no matter how good they are. Then the next day she returned the favour.

Bliss.

If you can think of one small step to take to make someone else's day a little lighter- take it.

I've got a 10$ Starbucks gift card for one person to take their own break after the holidays. Add a comment today to be entered to win.

12 Days of Giving

Click to be entered in the $100 gift draws. Scroll down for the daily challenge.

12 Days of Giving-add your name here

In the spirit of the holidays, I want to give something back. To you, my readers, but also to others.

Here's the deal. Every day for the next 12 days, I'm going to challenge you to 'give'. Not necessarily financially, because, yeah, I know that's tough at times. But we really are fortunate to enjoy many things. As I end off 2010 and head toward the New Year, I want to finish strong.

So yes, I have a few gifts for you, but I also have 3 big gifts. $100 donated in your name to the charity organization of your choice. See, I give away lots of books through the year, and I will give some now as well, but I think being able to let you give to someone else is going to make us both the happiest.

In order to qualify to be selected you don't have to meet the challenge for the day– those are strictly for fun and encouragement. I hope you do join in and share some love. But to be entered, simply add your name to this comment list along with the name of the organization you would like the money to go to if you are one of the three randomly selected.

This is an international giving opportunity- I don't care where you live. I hope that you will join me in this celebration of giving.

And come back tomorrow for the first challenge.

On the road again…

Just a quick note. We're enroute toward Tucson, so I'm a little behind in terms of getting prizes to people, and updating the blog. Life should settle a little more soon. In the meantime, I am goggling over how beautiful this southern section of the USA is– and I got to go climbing in Joshua Tree.

Call it research for the second book in the Xtreme Adventures series- Rising, Freestyle is in the works now and I'm totally enjoying the relationship between the hero Derrick and his heroine Melanie. And the old family friend, Nathan, who has just shown up? **sweats** This story has got so much sexual tension in it!

Anyway, once I do get settled I'll be able to better announce a time to get together with anyone in the Tuscon area who wants to. Looks like we might be in Phoenix later in the new year, so visits out there as well.

I'm sad it didn't work to stop and visit with people in the LA area. We ended up doing car repairs, and it ate into our time there. But I will be in LA in April for the Romance Times conference.

And that's enough rambling for now. I'm planning on a special holiday challenge for you to start in a few days. Hope all your shopping and etc is going well, and come back Sunday for details.

places to go, things to see

Today Moira Rogers, Vivi Andrews and I take over the Carina Blog to talk about our paranormal releases. We had a HUGE blast utting together fun interviews to share, so I'd encourage you to hop over there to check them out. THE BLOG

The other thing to check out? Ann Aguirre has a fantastic YA releasing April 2011- I've gotten a chance to read an ARC and it' SOOOOOOO good! There's an official book trailer you have got to see. Ready for this? Enclave is one book you're going to want to put on your TBB list. If for some reason the insert doesn't work (I'm in the boonies right now, technology hates me at times) here's the link: ENCLAVE

New Release- Tangled Tinsel

She's the cat's meow, and he's ready to pounce!

Five miles of leather-clad leg is all it takes to lure Kyle Branegan out from his carefully hidden lifestyle as part of the Cougar Corp, a secret branch of the Shifter Enforcer League. He's hoping for a night of fun and frolic, cat-style, no strings attached. With a sultry swing of her hips, Eloise Scott tangles him up in her ball of tricks, and just when he thinks he's about to get lucky, she cuffs him—naked—to her bed.

An undercover cop in the human police force, El's been given a top-secret mission to keep the big cat under her paw until he's needed to testify in court in the New Year. Her decision to take him home for a quiet Christmas in her sleepy hometown turns out to be far more interesting than she expected. Her parents are suddenly rich, her old boyfriend is sniffing around and all six-feet-plus of sexy cougar male is sleeping in her bed.

And that's before they announce their fake engagement…

Ebook available: Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Available in bundle with Moira Rogers and Vivi Andrews  as part of Winter Wishes:  Carina Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

15 Influential Characters

Yes, it's making the rounds of Facebook etc, but I thought it was an interesting exercise.

Here's the directions: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen fictional characters (television, films, plays, books) who've influenced you and/or that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

You might want to stop and jot yours down, and then come take a peek at mine. Done? Okay, now look at my list.

1. Ender aka Andrew Wiggin  (Enders Game by Orsen Scott Card)

2. Anne (of Green Gables by LM Montgomery)

3. Garian (Belgariad by David Eddings)

4. Samwise Gamgee (LoTR by Tolkien)

5. Melody (Dragon singer/Dragon song etc by Anne McCaffrey)

6. Ged (Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula Le Guin)

7. Sherlock Holmes by Auhtor Conan Doyle

8. Rheepicheep (Chronicles of Narnia by CS LEwis)

9. Charlotte (Charlotte's Web by EB White)

10. Fiver (Watership Down by Richard Adams)

11. Katy Carr (What Katy Did (Published 1872) by Susan Coolidge)

12. Kevin Flynn (Tron 1982 movie)

13. BJ Honeycut (Mash TV show)

14. Killashandra (The Crystal Singer by Anne Mccaffrey)

15. Vicky Austin: (Ring of Endless Light, and others from the series from Madeleine L'Engle)

Any books/ movies/ shows on my list you've never heard of before? I HIGHly recommend the the first book, if you've never read Enders Game.