Willow Aster's Blog, page 16
December 23, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 12: Michelle Warren
Today we welcome Michelle Warren to the blog as she tells us about her favorite holiday things.
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: I love Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt or any of the older Christmas classics.
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: I make a ton of cookies over the holiday, but my favorites are peanut butter cookies topped with a mini Reese Cup. Yum!
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: Elf. It has so many great one-liners!
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: Spending time with my family and friends.
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: All gifts are nice, even the lopsided hats and scarfs that may have been crocheted by my MIL.
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: Decorating the tree with my hubs. He's kind of like Clark Griswold.
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts? Both, of course!
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: Is it sad I can't think of one thing?! I need to have a little more fun this holiday.
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: Italy is always at the top of my list. Boun Natale!
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): Milo Ventimiglia (team Jess 4eva!)
What's at the top of your list? A lot more kindness and empathy in this crazy-ass world.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Evan Wade. (There's a reason I wrote him into a book. Good guys rule!)
If Michelle Warren had a spirit animal, it would be a tiger in a pink tutu, riding a Harley through a ring of fire. She lives in Chicago, dreams of California but hails from Baltimore. She has a slight obsession with travel, sunshine, Milano cookies and writing novels. She didn’t travel the road to writer immediately. She spent over a decade as professional Illustrator and designer. Her artistic creativity combined with her love of science fiction, paranormal and fantasy led her to write her first YA novel, Wander Dust.
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December 22, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 11: Kate Stewart
Today we welcome Kate Stewart to the blog as she tells us about her favorite holiday things.
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: Oh Holy Night
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: Chocolate Ice box cake. My grandmother's recipe.
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: The Grinch-Jim Carrey
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: When my mother sent me a cookbook of all our family recipes. It's my most prized possession.
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: Fiber optic teddy bear. No. Just no.
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: Christmas Eve feast. Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. Cheese Log, Crab dip, Shrimp, Shirley Temple's laced with cherries, music and family. It's better than Christmas Morning for me..
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: I just love giving at this point honestly. It's more fun. So I guess seeing my husband's face light up when I got him just the right thing.
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: When I was young, I used to get so excited on Christmas morning, I would throw up.
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: Some awesome cabin with tons of windows and snow falling. The ideal I guess.
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): And what would I be doing with this person? LOL. I've always wanted to hang out with Adam Sandler. I think he's amazing.
What's at the top of your list? Lots of smiles, food and naps. I'm easy. Gift wise, I really can't think of anything.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Hmmmm, this year I have a few. If I have to choose it would be Theo from All In by Emma Scott.
Kate Stewart lives in Charleston, S.C. with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. A native of Dallas, Kate moved to Charleston three weeks after her first visit, dropping her career of 8 years, and declaring it her creative muse. Kate pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it's what she loves as a reader. A lover of all things '80s and '90s, especially John Hughes films and rap, she dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity only and does a horrible job of playing the ukulele. Aside from running a mile without collapsing, traveling is the only other must on her bucket list. On occasion, she does very well at vodka.
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December 21, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 10: Kennedy Ryan
Today we welcome Kennedy Ryan to the blog as she tells us about her favorite holiday things.
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: "All I Want for Christmas" - Mariah Carey
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: Sweet potato pie
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: About A Boy
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: Weekend away
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: socks - LOL
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: just dinner together on Christmas day
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: Day!
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: playing Spades and other games with my family
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: Australia
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): Idris Elba
What's at the top of your list? a new charm for my Tiffany bracelet
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Grip James ;-)
Kennedy Ryan is a Southern girl gone Southern California. A Top 100 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy writes romance about remarkable women who find a way to thrive even in tough times, the love they find, and the men who cherish them.
She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy’s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Georgia families living with Autism, Kennedy has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other outlets as a voice for families living with autism.
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December 20, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 9: Calia Read
Today we welcome Calia Read to the blog as she tells us about her favorite holiday things.
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: Christmas/ Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: This is like Sophie's Choice. It's impossible to pick one! lol. So I'll say they're all my favorite.
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: Elf!
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: Anything book related. :)
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: Jewelry. I can't stand wearing it.
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: It's torture for my kids, but I have them open their gifts one at a time (from oldest to youngest) so that I get the chance to see their expressions. :)
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: Christmas Day.
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: I honestly can't think of one. Mr. Read and I don't go to many holiday parties; that would get in the way of me being a complete hermit. ;)
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: Anywhere with snow. I desperately want a white Christmas!
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): Armie Hammer. Not exactly the most charming name, but I'm willing to ignore that fact.
What's at the top of your list? new iPad. Mine has seen better days. It looks like it's been dragged behind a semi.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Oh! This one's easy. My newest book boyfriend, Rhett Rabideaux from How to Date a Douchebag: The Learning Hours by Sarah Ney.
Calia Read lives in Texas with her husband and their five kids.
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Whore Excerpt Reveal
Whore is coming on December 26th and I can't wait to finally get it out to you! I am revealing an excerpt today on a bunch of blogs and doing a giveaway on my Facebook page HERE.
Enjoy the sneak peek below. Becca the Bibliophile also created a trailer for me which I am in love with! :)
SYNOPSIS
“I need a reason to exist.”
Beautiful, intelligent, independent, strong-willed, wealthy—Lilith Fontenot seems by all appearances, to have it all. But that’s not how the highest paid prostitute in New Orleans sees herself.
A stain on society. A scourge. A waste. Outsider. Prisoner…
Any idyllic dream of the normal life she may have once imagined, Lilith buried long ago. Her only plan now is survival.
But mob boss Nico Santelli and community center owner Soti Christos have not given up on Lilith. Each has his own very specific, very opposing, plans for her, and neither will rest until it becomes a reality.
WHORE is a singularly bracing take on an ancient tale of tireless love, betrayal, and the possibility of redemption.
Goodreads Link: http://bit.ly/WhoreGoodreads
EXCERPT
“I don’t need any money,” I tell him. “I can make enough in the next few hours to cover me for the week.”
He flinches and turns toward me. The expression on his face makes my gut cinch. His eyes are like copper in the sun. So bright I have to look away.
I swallow and my voice shakes when I speak. “Thank you for everything. I won’t forget this.”
I put the phone in my pocket and decide to go while we’re on the topic.
“Wait, take this, please.” He reaches in his pocket and gives me a crumpled up wad of cash. “It’s not as much as I’d like to give you, but it’s all I have right now.”
“Can I do anything for you?” I ask, stepping toward him.
“No. Not everyone sees you as a business transaction, Lili,” he says softly.
My face is heated as I take the money and shove it in my pocket. I turn around and rush to the door. Before I leave, I chance another look at his face, but when we make eye contact I’m even more unsettled.
I lift a hand, whisper my goodbye, and stumble out of there. My eyes burn as I walk down the stairs, and even though the community center is bustling at this time of day, I don’t notice anyone else. By the time I step outside, tears are streaming down my face. I don’t even know why. His kindness … it confuses me.
December 19, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 8: Cat Porter
Today we welcome Cat Porter to the blog as she tells us about her favorite holiday things.
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: my Tiramisu in my big glass trifle bowl!
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” and “The Christmas Story” for a tie!
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: Years ago my husband got me the most perfect jewelry box—a blue velvet box with garnet beading and gold wire trim from my one of my favorite stores in New York City, ABC Carpet & Home.
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: when I gave my husband a huge pack of hangers which I’d gotten from a friend of mine who owns a clothing store. It truly was the perfect gift for him, because he really needed them and they were excellent quality, but they were still hangers. His face was priceless when he ripped open the wrapping paper. We had 3 small toddlers, I never got out of the house and there wasn’t much cash, so it was an efficient gift and at least he got to open something from me! LOL
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: Christmas Eve is my birthday, so I grew up spending the day doing something special with my parents in New York—a museum trip, lunch at a special restaurant, shopping, wandering around the city, sometimes the theater. Then we’d go to church, have my birthday cake after, and stay up late and watch classic film favorites like “The Red Shoes” or “Rebecca.”
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: I grew up opening gifts on Christmas Eve night, but now we open my birthday presents and go out for dinner on Christmas Eve and then Santa delivers his presents when everyone’s sleeping and the kids open them Christmas morning.
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: When my sister-in-law thought she was whispering to me and her best friend - “I think I’m pregnant” - but she was actually talking really loudly over the music and her husband heard her and he flipped out.
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: London! I went with my parents when we lived in Europe when I was ten, and it was perfection! Although now I think I’d like to do Scotland maybe…
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass?: artist & model William Tyler.
What's at the top of your list? This year it’s an essential oils diffuser. And silver jewelry. Always silver jewelry.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Ethan Blackstone, baby! (and Joe Callahan!)
Cat Porter was born and raised in New York City, but also spent a few years in Europe and Texas
along the way, which made her just as wanderlusty as her parents. As an introverted, only child, she had very big, but very secret dreams for herself. She graduated from Vassar College, was a struggling actress, an art gallery girl, special events planner, freelance writer, restaurant hostess and had all sorts of other crazy jobs all hours of the day and night to help make her dreams come true. She has two children’s books traditionally published under her maiden name. She now lives on a beach just outside of Athens, Greece with her husband and three children, and freaks out regularly and still daydreams way too much, and doesn’t give as much of AF. She is addicted to the History Channel, her iPhone, her husband’s homemade red wine, coffee, and a bunch of other stuff she’d rather not discuss. Writing keeps her somewhat sane, extremely happy, and a productive member of society. At least on the outside.
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December 18, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 7: A.L. Jackson
Let's welcome A.L. Jackson to the blog today who will be sharing her favorite things with us.
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: O Holy Night
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: Traditional frosted Christmas Cookies
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: Christmas Vacation
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: Jammies
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: Candy
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: Watching my kids dump out their stockings. I don't know what it is about it - I just love it.
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: Both
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: When my in-laws tree fell over.
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: I always want to be at home for the holidays.
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): Bahaha my husband says I'm allowed no free passes because I might actually try to make it happen ;)
What's at the top of your list? This year, my Christmas present is remodeling my bathroom! Hopefully it will actually be done by Christmas.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? My Lyrik West from Where Lightning Strikes
A.L. Jackson is the New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. She writes emotional, sexy, heart-filled stories about boys who usually like to be a little bit bad.
If she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the pool with her family, sipping cocktails with her friends, or of course with her nose buried in a book.
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December 17, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 6: Kim Holden
Kim Holden is joining us on the blog today to tell us more about her favorite holiday things.
Favorite Christmas Song: Elvis singing "Blue Christmas" always does it for me. "Carol of the Bells" is probably my all-time favorite though.
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Dessert: I loved making cookies every Christmas with my mom when I was little. We had cookie cutters in the shape of a tree, a bell, and Santa, and we used red and green food coloring to dye the frosting. My mom always bought sprinkles too (that was a BIG deal). I was always overly generous with the frosting and a bit aggressive on the sprinkles.
Best Christmas Gift: Best Childhood Gift: When I was ten Santa brought a foosball table. I have no idea how many hours my dad and I racked up playing over the years, but I would wager it was several hundred. We wore the thing out.
Best Adulthood Gift: Our son, Phoenix, made us a snowman out of paper plates and construction paper when he was in preschool. It gets hung on our refrigerator every year at Christmas. It's my favorite, even though it's nine years old now and looking a little ragged. I'll keep it forever.
Best Christmas Tradition: Every Christmas Eve for the past seventeen years, my husband, son, and I go out for dinner. We always try to pick a restaurant where the servers work their butts off but probably don't make a killing in tips and would rather be home with their kids and families.
Waffle House has been our go-to the past few years. We enjoy our meal and chat with our server and when we get our check, we pay with cash and then leave them a holiday card and a one hundred dollar bill for the tip. We hurry out before they get to it and then watch inconspicuously from the car. More often than not, they cry. And more often than not, I cry. Because that, to me, is the spirit of Christmas - showing some love and helping a stranger. I read a book called The Christmas Jar years ago and got the idea from it. We save up our spare change all year in a jar and then cash it in just before Christmas and use that for the tip. I look forward to doing it all year long.
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts: Always Christmas morning. It feels like cheating if anything gets opened on Christmas Eve.
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: My grandma used to put carrots and raisons in her lime jelly, does that count?
Dream Christmas destination: Hawaii would be nice. I'm a Colorado girl, but I hate the cold. I would love to spend Christmas vacation somewhere warm and tropical just once.
What's at the top of your list? Honestly, there's nothing on my list this year. Just looking forward to spending the day with my husband and son and watching A Christmas Story on TV.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? Easy peasy. Paul Hudson.
Some of my favorite things:
Reading (YA or New Adult), writing (especially on a productive day), the two coolest guys on the planet (my husband and son), my bicycle (hand built by my husband), Facebook (it’s an addiction at this point), iced coffee (hazelnut from McDonalds), and music (LOVE Sunset Sons, the 1975, Dredg, the xx, Balance and Composure, Teenage Bottlerocket, Manchester Orchestra, and 30 Seconds to Mars).
I also love dreaming. Big. Writing a few years ago was an elusive dream until I grabbed a hold of it with both hands and refused to let go. Keep chasing YOUR dreams …
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December 16, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 5: Amy Harmon
Today, we welcome Amy Harmon to the blog!
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: Oh Holy Night
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: Thick frosted, soft sugar cookies
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: It's a Wonderful Life
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: Husband bought me a new wedding ring two years ago. So beautiful.
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: As a kid, I hated getting underwear. Now I don't mind.
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: Christmas Eve at Grandma's
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: Christmas Day
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: I switched nametags with my sister on a present she knew was hers. Her face when I opened it . . . ha ha ha.
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: No place like home for Christmas
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): Daniel Craig (James Bond)
What's at the top of your list? I don't want a single thing! I just want a few days of no work and long naps.
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? I'm a little obsessed with my newest leading man, Dr. Noah Andelin, from THE SMALLEST PART.
Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in seventeen different languages, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.
Amy Harmon has written eleven novels - the USA Today Bestsellers The Bird and The Sword, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as From Sand and Ash, The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her latest novel, The Queen and The Cure, book two in The Bird and The Sword Chronicles, was released May 9, 2017.
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December 15, 2017
12 Days of Giveaways—Day 4: Mary Elizabeth
Today on the blog, we welcome Mary Elizabeth!
Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: Silent Night
Favorite Christmas Cookie/Holiday Dessert: I can basically eat pumpkin pie from the beginning of November through the New Year. I also have a soft spot for anything peppermint mocha.
Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movie: Charlie Brown’s Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer give me the same cozy feelings they did when I was a kid. You know it’s Christmastime when those movies are on TV.
Best Christmas/Holiday Gift: My favorite gifts every Christmas are the ones my kids make me at school. We have a separate tree in our second living room dedicated to the ornaments and crafts they’ve made since preschool. It’s sentimental, and that’s what Christmas is all about.
Worst Christmas/Holiday Gift: Those tins full of popcorn are pretty awful.
Best Christmas/Holiday Tradition: Every Christmas Eve our entire family—brothers, sisters, and all of my nieces and nephews spend the night together so we can open our presents at the same time Christmas morning.
This is something we’ve done since before any of us had kids, so 15 years later, our tradition has definitely grown.
Christmas Eve or Christmas Day for gifts?: Christmas Day.
Funniest Christmas/Holiday party moment: My husband and I were probably 20 years old. I was pregnant with our twins, so I couldn’t do much myself. Mr. Elizabeth was setting up a place for us to sleep at his parents house on Christmas Eve, like I mentioned above, our entire family spends the night together. So, Jason was carrying an inflated air mattress from one room to another when out of nowhere his younger brother literally karate kicked him. It sent my husband flying back until he fell with the mattress on top of him.
To this day that memory still gets to me. It was so unexpected, and I’ll never forget the way Mr. Elizabeth’s face looked when he was falling. I laughed all night. It’s such a happy memory.
Dream Christmas/Holiday destination: I was just telling my husband we should travel somewhere tropical for Christmas when our kids are grown and have their own families. Until then, I love being home for the holidays.
Who is your Christmas/Holiday pass? (famous person you'd pick for Christmas): I’d love to hang out with Will Ferrel for Christmas, just to have him dress as the Elf and tell me jokes all night.
What's at the top of your list? I’d really love a new laptop this year!
What book boyfriend would you want to kiss under the mistletoe? This is an easy one! Jacob Grace from Heart-shaped Hole.
Mary Elizabeth was born and raised in Southern California. She is a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She's a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night.
Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.
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