Maddy Barone's Blog, page 65

13 Things To Do Before Christmas

I spent hours today getting ready for the holiday, and what do I have to show for it? Nothing! I cleaned the church. I did 5 loads of laundry. I cleaned my bathroom. I cleaned the stove. I brought out my big coffee pot for when my brother comes. And I still have a tone of stuff to do!

1. Clean the Guest/Sewing room

2. Clean the livingroom

3. Clean the cat boxes (not just scoop them out. CLEAN them) and the closet they are in.

4. Clean the kitchen (see a pattern here?)

5. Finish knitting my last present. Ack! Will I finish it in time or have to wrap it with the needles still in it?

6. Wrap presents

7.  Go to work for 9 hours on Thursday.

8. Finish going through the suggestions from the beta readers on The Wolf's Glory. I had planned to have it submitted by Christmas, but that won't work. Besides, who is going to be reading submissions in the next week or so?

9. Go see True Grit with my baby brother Thursday night.

10. Sleep. I need to squeeze some sleep in there somewhere.

11. Make up the futon bed in the sewing roomfor brother #2 who is staying with me for Christmas.

12. Make fudge. Please God let it work this time.

13. Go to the candle light Christmas Eve service at church. I cleaned that church and helped get the sanctuary set up for the service I want want to be able to enjoy it.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. So why is it so stressful? Maybe I need to relax and laugh more. A friend sent me this little joke: "Dear Santa, for Christmas this year I want thick hair and a thin body. Please don't get them mixed up like you did last year."

Merry Christmas!

Ack! I've Got To Clean!

My brother will be staying with me over Christmas. I live about 25 minutes from my mom's. My family is getting together at my mom's for Christmas, but there is only so much room at mom's. My oldest brother, youngest brother and my widowed sister and her little girl will be staying with mom. My middle brother and I don't smoke, plus I have wi fi, so my middle brother (Ross) will be staying with me. I'm really happy about that. He's my favorite brother. He lost his partner to a brain aneurysm a few years ago and Christmas is hard for him without Stew.  I know that many people also mourn loved ones who have passed away and the holidays can be lonely and difficult. Here are Ross and Stew their last Christmas together.

Ross and Stew

I hope spending some quiet time at my apartment will be a comforting time for Ross. I really am happy to have him stay. Except that means I have to clean. Ack! The guest room is also my craft/sewing room and it is a terrible mess. Every single surface in my house is liberally covered in cat hair. My brother doesn't like cats. So this week I'll be doing some cleaning.

I'll also be finishing up The Wolf's Glory. I got it back from the last of my beta readers yesterday, so it's time to read through their corrections and suggestions. My goal is still to submit it by Christmas, so I've got to get going. This week I also have to work (with overtime), go to a party, take my turn at cleaning the church, wrap gifts and clean my place. Oh, boy, I'm tired already.

13 of My Favorite Books To Re-read

For Thursday 13 this week I decided to talk about some of my favorite reads. These are books that I love to re-read. Some of these are the kind of books that you want to open up after a rotten day. It's comfortable to slip into the story because I know and love the characters. Some are old, old favorites that I have practically memorized. They're not necessarily great literature, but they are so good. Others were my way of surviving junior high and high school. Books took me to wonderful places when I was young. I come from a pretty disunctional home, so books were really my safe place.  My favorite re-reads aren't limited to these, but here are a few (in no special order):

1. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis. Actually, several of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia are favorite re-reads. I thought the recent movie the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was pretty good (Prince Caspian was good too, but not as much for me) and I'm hoping to see The Voyage of the Dawn Treader around Christmas.

2. The Hornet's Nest by Sally Watson. This author is, in my opinion, the Grande Dame of Young Adult historicals. I could list five more books by Sally Watson as my faves, but I'm trying to give other books some time here. But if you enjoy young adult historical stories, go find Lark or Jade or Linnet or Highland Rebel by Sally Watson. Go NOW. I cannot say enough good things about her lovely writing style. When she writes a scene I feel like I'm there. This amazing writer is still writing today. Check out her books here.

3. Heir of the Shadows by Anne Bishop. A dark fantasy that appeals to me greatly, perhaps because of the close ties between friends and family that are depicted. It doesn't hurt that Daemon is so hot. This series has romance in them, but is primarily dark fantasy.

4. The Ransom by Julie Garwood. I think of Julie Garwood's work as fairy tales. There are several that I might pull out for a quick re-read, like Saving Grace, The Secret and The Bride.

5. Slave To Sensation by Nalini Singh. I adore the whole Psy/Changeling series, and this is possibly the best of the bunch. Although Caressed By Ice and Mine To Possess are right up there.

6. Beggerman, Thief by Maryjanice Davidson. This futuristic/paranormal short story is a jewel. The dialogue is witty and conveys emotion without actually stating it. I believe is it still available from loose id. Great fun. I read it when I want a lift.

7. Captives of the Night by Loretta Chase. Many people would point out other stories by this author such as Lord of Scoundrels as a favorite, and I love that one too. But the hero in this one fascinates me. I was intrigued by Ismal in The Lion's Daughter, and I loved him here.

8. Friday's Child by Georgetter Heyer. A gem. I love almost anything by this author and could list a dozen other stories that could go on this list. The Talisman Ring, The masqueraders, The Devil's Cub and The Grand Sophyare only a few. But I'll put this one on because I laughed out loud a few times. I love the way Sherry has to grow up.

9. A Brother's Price by Wen Spencer. A fun fantasy story set in a culture where boys are rare. Women are the gender in power, while men are babied and protected. A very innovative and well written story. I also re-read her Ukiah Oregon series regularly.

10. Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. This husband and wife writing team has created a wonderful sci fi world. Plan B isn't the only book in their Liaden series that I re-read, but it is one that ties quite a bit of the series together.  I'm so glad they are back to writing more Liaden stories. Looking forward to the next one.

11. Beauty by Robin McKinley. In my opinion, this is the very best re-telling of Beauty and the Beast ever written. I also love to re-read The Blue Sword by this author. I recently read Pegasus, her most recent release, and I loved it.

12. His Hour by Elinor Glyn. This romance was written almost 100 years ago, when racy meant the hero and heroine kissed. I wonder if this book pushed the envelope for its time. Talk about an alpha hero! If this book were written today, I think the wild Russian Prince hero would stay the same, but the love scenes would be hot hot hot.

13. The Substitute Guest by Grace Livingston Hill. I know, I know. This book is sappy. Corny. Preachy. But it is still the book I re-read every Christmas season. It is a feel-good story about love and family. I eneded with this one because because it is a Christmas story, and I've set aside a few hours for it this weekend.

So, what stories do you find yourself reaching for to re-read?

Holiday Rush Blog Hop

Welcome to the Book Nibbles Holiday Rush Blog Hop!
If you fall off the tour you can get back on here. And don't forget to join us at Gem Sivad's chat room on Saturday, December 11 at 7pm Eastern
Winter is in full swing here in North Dakota and that means Christmas! You may celebrate another holiday like Kwanzaa or Solstice or Chanukah, but it's definitely the holiday season. This time of the year is when people wish for peace on earth and give gifts to each other. 
Have you ever gotten a puppy or kitty sleeping under the tree? Here's a little something I'd like to find sleeping under my tree.
 I've written my letter to Santa, and I've been a VERRRRY good girl this year, so I KNOW what I'm getting for Christmas.

It is said that it is more blessed to give than receive, so here are some presents for my visitors. Such pretty packages, don't you think? And the bows are so festive! But don't be greedy. You can have only one. Which one do you want? Tell Santa and if you've been good this year, you'll find little something special under your tree.
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Sex Sin and Surf by Lauren Fraser

Sex, Sin and Surf by Lauren Fraser

Holidays are all about relaxation. And what better way to relax than with a hot holiday fling?

On vacation in Mexico with her two best friends, forty-one-year-old Celeste Kopp vows to break out of her middle-aged rut and live life to the fullest. Taking surf lessons is on the top of her to do list. However, when she meets sexy surf instructor Ben, the idea of a holiday fling with a younger man becomes the only thing on her list.

Ben is more than willing to live out Celeste's fantasies as well as a few of his own. But their holiday romance turns out to be more than either of them bargained for when the connection between them deepens. Being with Celeste forces Ben to deal with his own baggage in a way he never expected.

As the vacation draws to a close, Celeste realizes she wants so much more from Ben than a holiday fling, but can she convince him that their future together is worth the risk?

Buy Link

For more info on Lauren visit her website http://www.laurenfraser.com

My Christmas Wishlist

My family celebrates Christmas as inexpensively as possible. My mom is retired and on a tight budget. My oldest brother's business isn't doing so well. My sister is widowed with a young daughter, living on welfare until her daughter is older. My youngest brother is out of work. My middle brother and I are employed, but neither of us has money to throw around. So, like  I said, Christmas is small for us. Presents tend to be $10.00 or less. Still, that doesn't keep us from dreaming, right? So here is my Christmas list for 2010 (not that I actually expect to get many of these):

1. A Massage Rocker Recliner, preferably in burgundy leather. (yeah, right) Wouldn't it be nice to come home from work on a cold day and settle into a heated recliner?

2. Fancy hair clips. Since I chopped my hip length hair off I need to do something to keep it off my face.

3. A gift card for a manicure. I'd love to be able to pamper my rough winter hands.

4. A 16×20 framed print of my cover art for Sleeping With the Wolf.  I'd like to put it over my entertainment center.

5. A new desk top computer.  (another yeah, right)

6. A bottle of good lotion, and some matching bath oil.  My hands are like sandpaper and I'm almost out of lotion.

7. A couple dozen homemade Christmas cookies. Cuz homemade is best.

8. A book with knitting patterns called Folk Shawls. I really like making and wearing shawls, but I'm too cheap to buy the darn book!

9. A really good quality boombox. I love to listen to music while I knit or sew.

 10. A maid to come in and clean once a week for a year. Hey, it's a WISH list, right?

11. A gift card to Barnes & Noble. You can never go wrong with Barnes & Noble.

12. A new desk for my computer. I'm still using the same little wooden one I've had since the '80s.

13. An all expenses paid trip to a writers convention. I'd love to actually meet some other writers. Sometimes I feel pretty isolated.

Some of these are purely dreams, others I may be able to buy for myself in the future, and a few I may get this Christmas. What are you hoping to get?

After the Crash, Book 2: The Wolf's Glory

I finished the rough draft for Book 2 of the After the Crash series on Thanksgiving Day, and spent about two weeks adding, subtracting and polishing the manuscript. I sent it off to my two beta readers yesterday, andasked them to have it back by December 17, but I already heard back from Setembrina. She told me she already finished reading it. She thinks it's even better than Sleeping With the Wolf! She began to glance over it on her phone, meaning to download it onto her laptop, but it was so engrossing she read the whole thing through on her phone. (boy, is that an ego booster! lol) She says she'll have her corrections and suggestions back to me in a day or so.

I'm very excited about this book. Taye is a laid back sort of alpha werewolf, at least until you threaten his mate. His  cousin Wolf's Shadow is a I'm-always-right-do-what-I-say sort of alpha. His mate sets him straight about just how obedient he can expect her to be. One of my favorite scenes is when Glory, the heroine, asks someone who knows Shadow well what an Alpha is.

"What's an Alpha?" Jill raised her eyebrows. "Basically, a control freak. And Shadow, bless his bossy heart, is the most Alpha son of a bitch I know. Stand up to him, Glory, or he'll run you over. Just be ready for fireworks when you do."

Release Party

The first book in my After the Crash series came out on November 22 from Liquid Silver Books, and on November 29th my friends threw me a release party in the private room at a local restaurent. We were having a winter storm that night, so a lot of people couldn't make it but we still had a very nice turn out, a lot more than I was expecting. I had a really great time and my friends went all out. Richard and Camille played chauffeur and picked me up. Chris played papparazzi and took tons of pics. The pics here are ones taken with my cheapo camera. Brandi gave me a feather boa to drape dramatically around my neck (she thinks authors are glamorous!) They arranged a signing table in the corner. My book, Sleeping With the Wolf, is an ebook, so I didn't have actual books to sign, but they printed out photocopies of the cover and I signed dozens. I had never "signed" my pen name, so it took a few times to get the hang of how I wanted it to look. I also got to sign an "writer's bag". Lorine had bought a sturdy canvas messenger type bag and her goal is to have various authors she meets sign it for her. I got to be the first author to sign it.  I felt honored.

I was given lovely cards, and a pin that said "Ask Me About My Book" and nice gifts of chocolate, AND… a Barnes & Noble nook! I opened the package and simply stared, speechless, for a minute. I knew what I was seeing. I recognized that it was a nook. But I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Such generosity! Most of my friends are tightening the belts financially, so this was incredibly generous of them. I have been using a dinosaur of a Sony ereader for several years now. I love my ereader, but I really wanted to get a nook or Kindle. So opening that package and seeing what it was brought tears to my eyes.

The party was an honor. The best thing about the night was all my friends who showed up in spite of the wicked weather. Sure they were there to have a good time, but they all seemed so genuinely happy for me. It was kind of weird.  As if getting a story published is a big thing. Okay, I don't mean to say that it is NOT a big thing. Of course it is. I am clear that having a story accepted by a publisher is a marvelous thing. I am thrilled to be a published author.  But I swear my friends are more excited about it than I am. Brandy said that it's really cool for them to see the process of submitting, being accepted and signing a contract, doing edits, getting cover art and finally seeing the book released. She and many others of our friends have doodled with writing stories,  some seriously, but have never tried to submit anything. I'm the first of our group to be published. 

I guess I'm still too new to being an author to take myself too seriously. When I write I'm usually in my jammies, my unwashed hair hair hooked repeatedly behind my ear, with a glass of pop or a cup of tea at hand, and maybe some snack nearby, shoving a cat off my keyboard and talking out loud to my characters. The cats probably thank I'm talking to them which is why I have at least one on my lap and one crawling over the computer. Writing is not really glamorous.  But that night even though I was wearing just slacks and a sweater, I felt glamorous. I am humbled by the love and support of my friends.

Here Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Christmas is coming, It's my favorite holiday. The decorations, the cookies, the music it is all wonderful to me. I think this month for Thursday 13 I'm going to pick one aspect of Christmas and list my favorite things about it. Today I am going to list some of my favorite Christmas music, in no particular order.

1. The Carols of the Bells by Celtic Woman. Love the fiddle in it.

2. One King by Point of Grace. Such a pretty song, with real meaning.

3. Yingle Bells by Yogi Yorgesson. It makes me laugh. My grandpa used to sing it.

4. Blue Christmas by Elvis. A real classic.

5. Silent Night by Boyz II Men. Wonderful harmonies that I didn't expect from them.

6. We Wish You a Merry Christmas  by the Muppets & John Denver. Animal cracks me up.

7. Ave Maria by Il Divo. And the version by the Carpenters is beautiful too.

8. Silver Bells by Martina McBride

9. Jingle Bells by Big Crosby. A true Christmas classic.

10. O Come O Come Emmanuel by John Berry. Wow. Who knew a Country singer could do this so well?

11. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear by Julie Andrews. She really has a marvelous voice.

11. The Hallelujah Chorus by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. What says Christmas like the Messiah?

12.  Sleigh Ride by The Andrews Sisters. Their christmas cd is fun!

13. The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole. Great, great song.

I could list another 13 songs easily. Do you have a favorite christmas song?

13 Things I'm Grateful For

In the United States, today is Thanksgiving. It's a day for family, feasting and counting our blessings. At my church, we have a Thanksgiving service on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. Each person who wants to takes a few dried kernals of corn and goes to the front of the church drops each one in a basket, speaking out loud something they thank God for.  Due to bad weather conditions, that service was cancelled this year.  So I decided to incorporate it here in my Thursday 13. Here are 13 things I consider blessings in my life, in no particular order:

1. My cats.

2. Having an apartment within walking distance to work.

3. Zoya, my spinning wheel.

4. My publisher Liquid Silver Books. 

5. The chance to donate to Locks of Love.

6. My laptop.

7. My friends in the SCA.

8. My church family.

9. Hand knit wool socks.

10. Romance Divas.

11. Eye Candy.

12. That my mom's surgery went well.

13. That I am at last a published author.