Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 29

Authors Are Human By S.C. Wynne

Good morning all!

I saw some stuff happening on Facebook yesterday, and it got me thinking. There was a reader/reviewer who was upset because she was kicked out of a group for saying negative things about one of the author's books. Now, this was inside the author's private group. There are lots of places for people to vent and give their opinions about the books they read, and most authors understand that not all books will please all readers.

But if you have to bitch, don't go into an author's group to do it. Go to Goodreads. Amazon. Any group you want on Facebook, Twitter. ANYWHERE ELSE.

Sometimes I feel like certain readers don't quite understand how difficult it is to create something, and then have other people criticize it. We're human. We're sensitive. We often doubt our own talent and ability to write. If you want to review a book, there are so many options for readers to do so. But to go into an author's space, and go out of your way to make sure the author knows you weren't happy, is strange. What would make you think the author would want that? Who enjoys criticism? Would you insult someone who invited you into their private space and cooked you a meal? Is there some reason you think the author simply must hear your opinion? Why? What happened to being kind? Respectful? Not all books will be your favorite. So? If you've enjoyed many of the authors books, can't you maybe let something pass? Why do you feel driven to express your disappointment to the author? Did you forget authors aren't robots? That we have the same sensitivities anyone else does?

I'm not saying reviewers and readers can't express themselves however they want. They can and do. That's awesome. But know your audience. As a creative person, I avoid places where people tend to be rude and downright mean in their reviews. Places like Goodreads are horrible for authors. But no one thinks Goodreads shouldn't exist. I simply avoid going there at all costs.

Creativity is a fragile thing. When people say hurtful things to an author, it isn't easy to forget. And being creative when you feel wounded is hard. Every word you put on the paper feels stupid and stilted. Mean words, intentional or not, can damage an authors ability to perform well. This is how many of us put food on the table. We can't afford to sit and nurse our wounds, so it's easier if we just try and avoid negativity about our books. But if you come into our groups and vent, how would we do that? We need private, safe places. We deserve that.

I'll reiterate, I'm not saying reviewers and readers have no right to express themselves. They do. THEY DO. Don't misunderstand me. But don't expect to be welcomed and greeted warmly when you go into an author's private group and express how much you didn't enjoy their book.

Our books are like our children. We put everything into them. No one is going to smile and say thank you when you tell us you didn't like something we worked months on. Sorry. We are human. We. Are. Human.

S. C.
www.sc-wynne.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! from Felice Stevens

I want to wish each and everyone of you a happy, healthy and safe new year. I hope 2018 brings you joy. In my reader group, I posted a list of words asking people what they wanted for the coming year.
My word for the year is BALANCE.
I have many projects coming in 2018 and it will take all my strength and discipline to keep them in balance.
What's your word?
If you are interested in joining my reader group, Felice's Fun-House, you can do so here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/15588...

We talk about life, books, and of course, kissing.....

HAPPY 2018!!!

Happy New Year from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean!

Emilie Rose is our winner from last week. BA was popcorn, Julia was Scooby Doo, Kiernan was the skate, and Sean was the merman! Emilie, see the comments on that post!

XXOO

Julia

http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com

BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com

Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com

Facebook:

Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...

Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...

BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga

Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

I'm taking a break this week to spend time with family but I'll be back once the festivities are done!

I wish you all a safe and very happy holiday.

Love,

Jodi
www.jodipayne.net

Merry Christmas Clam Dip Recipe by S.C. Wynne

Morning all!

The holidays mean parties, and parties mean booze and snacks. One of my favorite drinks is an Italian Margarita and one of my favorite dips is clam dip. My family has perfected it over the years. We take our clam dip very seriously.

I thought I'd share a few recipes with you this morning that help me have a more festive holiday!

Italian Margarita (one serving)

2 oz Sweet n Sour Mix
1/2 oz quality golden tequila
1/2 oz Contreau
1 oz quality Amaretto

Put in a shaker with ice and shake as if your life depends on it. :) Then pour into a glass with a sugar rim and drink!

Clam Dip

2-cloves garlic
4-8 oz packages of cream cheese
4-tsp Worcestershire sauce
2-cans clams minced
1-can clams chopped
4-Tbs clam juice
1/2 tsp garlic salt

Be sure to drain the clams, saving your 4 Tbs of course, and let the cream cheese sit out to soften before mixing everything together. Grab some ridged potato chips and enjoy!

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a Merry Christmas!

S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com

a Christmas contest from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean

Hey y'all!

Can you guess which ornament belongs to which writer?

Put your guesses in the comments for a chance to win an ebook of your choice from us at www.evilplotbunny.com

Come play!

XXOO

Julia

http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com

BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com

Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com

Facebook:

Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...

Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...

BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga

Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly

Hanukkah and Christmas Top 5s

Happy Sunday all!

‘Twas the week before Christmas... and also the fifth night of Hanukkah! We celebrate both in my house as my wife is Jewish, so we light the Hanukkiah, and I have to have my Christmas Tree.

I wanted to make this post entirely a holiday movie post, but there are no Hanukkah movies. NONE. There is food though. At a Jewish celebration there is always amazing food. So, today we have my top 5 foods to eat at Hanukkah, and my Top 5 Christmas Eve.

Top 5 Hanukkah Foods:

1. Latkes (potato pancakes)
2. Sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts)
3. Noodle Kugel (noodle casserole)
4. Brisket (cooked much like a post roast)
5. Gelt (chocolate coins!)

My Top 5 Christmas movies:

1. It’s a Wonderful Life
2. Alastair Sim’s A Christmas Carol
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
4. A Christmas Story
5. Miracle on 34th Street

What are your favorites?

Home Alone, Nightmare before Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Muppet Christmas Carol, Bishop’s Wife... oy, I have a lot of favorite Christmas movies.

As next Sunday is Christmas Eve, I’ll be taking the day off from posting. I wish you all a very happy holiday season, and I’ll see you right before the New Year!

Merry Christmas New Release! by S.C. Wynne

Good morning all you little Wynners!

This morning I wanted to share my new release with you! Why am I using so many exclamation points? I must be super excited. lol

Mistletoe Omega is a heartwarming Christmas novella with a guaranteed HEA. I really enjoyed writing this story. I loved the older and younger MC dynamic. I don't usually write May-December type of stories, but it was fun exploring these two character's differences.

Here's a blurb:

Sam Styles is having a horrible holiday season. He’s just found out he’s pregnant, and his alpha has bolted, leaving him stranded. Sam hides his pregnancy because a pregnant omega without an alpha isn’t popular in his omega/alpha society.
Graham Peters is an alpha who is fifteen years older than Sam. While Graham doesn’t realize Sam is pregnant, something about the younger omega tugs at his heart. He wants to help the down on his luck omega.
The two men grow close when Graham opens his home to Sam. But Sam is guarded and afraid of what might happen if Graham discovers he’s is pregnant with another alpha’s baby.
Excerpt:
I stayed behind the counter and leaned against the ice machine. The front doors opened and a gust of chilled wind blew into the diner. The alpha who walked in had dark eyes and hair, with just a tiny bit of silver at his temples. I’d seen him many times before. He always sat by himself in the corner and ordered the same thing every time; fried eggs, crispy bacon and black coffee. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, he always got the same meal.Patty was busy with several tables, and it occurred to me if I wanted to mooch a ride from her, I might earn brownie points by helping her out some. She’d probably take me home anyhow, but this way I didn’t feel as beholden. I didn’t like owing people things. Then they thought they had power over you, and I didn’t care for that feeling at all.I grabbed an order pad from under the counter, along with a menu. As I approached the alpha, he held my gaze without blinking. I smiled a greeting. “Welcome.”“Thanks.”I led him to a booth and attempted to hand him the menu. “Coffee?”“Yep.” He didn’t take the menu from me. “I think we both know I don’t need that.”I wiggled the plastic coated menu in front of him. “I thought maybe you’d want to try something different today. It’s the holiday season. You should live a little.”“Is that right?” He arched one brow.He was attractive. I mostly knew he was older than me because of the dusting of gray at his temples. But the tanned skin of his face was smooth, and I assumed he had a nice body from the way the material of his jeans clung to his firm ass and muscular thighs.I shook myself. I was supposed to be taking his order, not ogling him. “Maybe some pumpkin-spice waffles, or our special Christmas omelet?” I gave him another smile.He chuffed. “Tell you what? How about you put some cream in my coffee for a change?”I frowned. “Wow. You’re a real thrill seeker.”His lips twitched, but his gaze remained blank. “Yep.”Since he didn’t make any move to take the menu from me, I gave up and went to get his coffee, and put his usual order in. He grunted when I set his java down in front of him, and then he pulled out a paperback, sliding down in his seat to wait for his meal. I left him, unsure of why he intrigued me so much tonight. Maybe it was because I wasn’t actually on shift right now, and so I had extra time to just watch him.“Hey, thanks for grabbing Graham for me.” Patty bustled up to me and grabbed the orange juice from the under the counter fridge. She poured two glasses and returned it to its spot. “He’s a good tipper. You’ll be happy.”“No problem.” Graham. It suited him. It was a solid, steadfast name, and he seemed like that kind of man. “What’s his story?”Holding the glasses of O.J. she paused. “You mean Graham?”“Yeah. He keeps to himself I notice.”She shrugged. “All I know is he’s a regular, and he tips well. That’s good enough for me.”She left me and I refilled my coffee as I studied him. Everybody had some kind of story. Some were happy, some depressing. But nobody got away with having no story at all. Graham was an alpha, and of an age when usually he’d be settled with kids. But he’d never brought anyone in with him.Had he loved and lost? Had he never bothered to seek out a mate? That was pretty unusual in our alpha omega society. Almost everyone eventually broke down and gave in to the pressure of procreating. I frowned and glanced down at my own stomach. What the hell was I going to do with a kid? I could barely keep myself fed.The bell near the kitchen area rang, making me jump. I checked and saw it was Graham’s meal sitting under the heat lamps. I grabbed his food and the coffee pot, and carried everything over to him, setting his eggs and bacon carefully on the table. “Any ketchup or hot sauce?” I asked, refilling his coffee with my other hand.He shook his head. “No, thank you.” He hesitated and then he said, “Don’t you usually work the earlier shift?”Surprised he knew that, a little flutter when through me. “Um… yeah. I already worked today.”He frowned. “You’re just hanging around longer because you love it here so much you don’t want to leave?”I laughed, feeling heat rise from my neck to my face. “I missed my bus.”He nodded. “I see.”“It was the last one of the night. But it’s a little cold to walk, so I thought I’d come back where it’s warm, and grab a ride from Patty when her shift is over.”He picked up his fork, but still he hesitated. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t she take over for you at the end of your shift?”“She does.”“Which means she won’t be out of here until around nine tomorrow morning?” His eyes narrowed. “You’re staying here eight hours for a ride?”I lifted my chin. “Hey, it beats freezing to death.”“Don’t you have a friend you can call?” He cleared his throat. “What about that loud-mouthed alpha who sometimes visits you on your shift?”I laughed. “Loud-mouthed?”“He’s not quiet.”“No. That’s true.” I found it interesting he’d noticed Tim, and who had what shift, when he always had his nose buried in a book. “You’re an observant guy.”“I used to be a cop. Old habits die hard.”“I see.”“So why can’t your buddy give you a ride?”I didn’t want to tell him my personal business, so I made something up. “He had to drive to the next town over to visit his mother.”“He’s visiting his mother?” He sounded skeptical.“Sure. Why not?”He snorted and scooped a forkful of eggs into his mouth. As he chewed, he watched me intently. Once he’d swallowed he said, “I can give you a lift.”Surprise rolled through me and I grimaced. “Oh, no. That’s not necessary.”“Really? You’d rather stay here another eight hours than accept my offer?”Pulling my brows tight, I said, “I wouldn’t want to put you out.”“It’s no bother.”“How can you know that? You don’t even know where I live.”“Your boyfriend’s car is kind of flashy. I’ve seen it parked for almost a month over at the Wagon Train Motel. Unless he’s been meeting someone else there, I assumed that’s where you two live.” He took another mouthful of eggs, and then washed it down with coffee.My face felt hot, and I inched away slowly. “I don’t know.”“It’s just a ride. I’m not a serial killer.”My laugh was way too loud. “If you were, it’s not like you’d announce it.”He shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He went back to eating.I walked away, feeling confused. It wasn’t as if I wanted to hang out here for hours on end. I desperately wanted to shower and put my feet up. But I felt weird accepting a ride from a customer. As Patty walked past, I grabbed her elbow. “Hey, can I ask you something?”She stopped, her shoes squeaking on the tile. “Sure. But make it quick, I’m busy.”“Is Graham like… a good guy?” I let go of her arm.“What?” She frowned.“I mean, has he ever done anything weird? Or has he ever made you or any of the staff uneasy?”She laughed. “No. He’s been coming here for years and he’s never been anything but pleasant.”“Don’t they always say it’s the quiet ones?”“I’m sure there are usually warning signs. So far, all I’ve noticed about him that’s unusual is he tips well compared to the other regulars.” She raised her brows.“Okay.”She frowned. “Why? Did he do something?”“No. Not at all. He offered me a ride home.”She smiled. “Aww. He’s such a sweet heart. You should take him up on it.”“You think so?”“Why not? You’re gonna regret it if you let him leave. I can guarantee, around the five hour mark, you’ll wish you’d said yes.”I sighed. “God, I would kill to rest my feet.”“Exactly.” She smiled. “Tell him yes.”“Maybe I will.” I tore the check from the pad and headed toward Graham. As I set the bill on the table, he looked up from his book. My stomach tensed nervously. “Does your offer still stand?”He nodded slowly. “Of course.”“You sure? I don’t want to put you out.”His gaze softened. “It’s no trouble. I promise.”“All right.” I laughed awkwardly. “Then I’ll just ring you up, and when you’re ready, I’m ready.”He snapped his book closed and tucked it in his back pocket. Then he pulled out his wallet and tossed down some cash. I picked up the money, and he slid from the booth. “I’ll meet you outside.” He sauntered toward the door and I watched him leave.Patty walked past, her arms laden with plates of food. “Good decision, kid. See you tomorrow.” I cashed out his ticket, noticing the amount left over was indeed a generous tip. I tucked it in my pocket and zipped up my hoodie. Then I made my way out into the freezing night.
Hope you enjoyed that little taste! If it seems like something you'd enjoy I'll leave some links below. Have a wonderful weekend you guys, and Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!S.C.www.sc-wynne.comBuy links below for Mistletoe Omega:AMAZON USAMAZON UKKOBOBARNES & NOBLEOTHER RETAILERS

Breaking a Golden Rule? by Felice Stevens

Happy Holidays!! We're winding down the year and that always makes me think what new things I'm looking forward to.

If you've read my books, you know I'm a romance purist at heart. I take my couple from start to finish and give them a strong Happily Ever After. That's what I read and I like to write what I want to read.
BUT
While I was in Facebook jail for that week during Thanksgiving an idea popped into my head and before I knew what I was doing, I'd written a short story as a prequel to a new series. Not too big a deal, you say. 
BUT
The prequel introduces the two characters, Austin and Rhoades, and ends on a cliffhanger.
YES
The dreaded word. Cliffhanger. So while the prequel is written, I'm not planning on releasing it until the resolution of their story is ready to release. And since I"m writing it now, that won't happen for a while. 
I've never had a problem with cliffhangers, but some people hate them with a passion.
How do you feel about cliffhangers? Love them? Hate them? Might try? Won't ever read them?
I'd love to know. 

Help me decide where to move by Riley Hart

We've been seriously looking into leaving Southern California. There are a lot of things I like about it...but I need a change. My family needs a fresh start really badly. Southern California isn't an easy place to make it. LOL.

So...I'd love some suggestions from you guys. If you've lived somewhere, visited somewhere, or currently live somewhere that meets some of our must-haves, I'd love to know.


1. Good schools
2. A couple motocross/dirt bike tracks within an hour drive.
3. AFFORDABLE. lol. Must be less to live than SoCal.
4. I don't want a ton of snow. We'd go crazy and I don't want to learn to drive in it. So, maybe a couple snows a year, at most.
5. It needs to be fairly liberal. I can't live in a city that is too conservative. That wouldn't fit my family or beliefs at all.


So...what do you have for me?