Eight Nights Plus One - Monica Epstein

Eight Nights Plus One
Monica Epstein
http://www.monicaepstein.com


Many people think that because Hanukkah lasts for eight nights, we shower each other with presents for more than a week. The truth is, Hanukkah is not a major holiday in Judaism. It’s nothing like Christmas is for Christians, although they do fall at nearly the same time of year. The only religious aspect to Hanukkah is lighting a menorah—a candelabra-like object—while saying or singing a blessing. We begin with one candle on the first night, and we add another candle each night until we light a total of eight candles on the eighth night of the holiday.

All other traditions for Hanukkah, like eating potato latkes (pancakes) and donuts (especially popular in Israel), playing dreidel, and singing songs are secular traditions.

My husband and I agreed that our children would receive only small gifts each night of Hanukkah, such as stickers or a book. Because all three of our children have birthdays in December and January, if we considered gifts they’d get from us, and from two sets of grandparents, they would be receiving plenty of presents over the winter weeks. Not only did we not want to convey that Hanukkah is a more important holiday than it is, we didn’t want them thinking that every night was present night for six weeks straight!

I began putting aside presents for the kids months in advance. Any time I saw something small (or even moderately priced because it could be used as a birthday gift), I’d purchase the item and stash it in a bag in my closet. By the time Hanukkah rolled around, I’d have no idea if I had the right number of gifts for each child.

This led to what has become a tradition in the Epstein household. Several days before the first night of Hanukkah (or a December birthday if one of those came first), my husband and I would close the door to our bedroom after putting the kids to bed, take out the loot I had collected, and spread all of it out in front of us—one row for each child. If I got it right, each row would have eight small gifts, and a few “better” items for his or her birthday. And then we’d wrap and wrap and wrap some more. If I hadn’t gotten the numbers right, I’d have at least eight days to fill in the missing presents.

The first few years taught us a lot. Gifts that required more play time needed to be distributed on a Friday or Saturday night so the child could stay up a little later to enjoy it. Don’t give a book, or anything else, for that matter, two days in a row. If one child gets something they’d view as prized, better give the other child something highly coveted too.

But how could we keep all of this straight once the presents were under wrapping paper? Was this soft, squeezable package socks with Daniel’s favorite animal on them or a dress for Sarah’s doll?

That’s when my husband came up with the system we still practice today. As we wrap, we place a small sticker on the bottom of each present. On the sticker we label the child’s first initial and the day of Hanukkah—one through eight—that he or she is to receive the package. And if it’s a birthday present, it only needs an initial because the wrapping paper is a dead giveaway.

We’re down to only one child at home now so it doesn’t take us nearly as long to complete our yearly wrap party. I’m sure going to miss it when she moves out. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gathering Around The Christmas Tree - Karyn Good

Gathering Around The Christmas Tree
Karyn Good
http://karyngood.com/blog/


Up and down the street Christmas lights brighten dark skies. Homes are decorated and goodies are baked. Gifts are wrapped and placed under the tree. Carols are sung and stories are told. Christmas Eve is here and everyone is excited, especially the little ones.

We have a couple of traditions in our family that have survived the test of time and a new simpler what-gets-done-gets-done, no stress approach to Christmas. One of those traditions is a fresh cut tree. When our kids were little we would pick a day and pray for good weather. In the car we’d get and we’d travel to the nearest (and only) Christmas tree farm, Come See, Come Saw.

We’d park and the kids would run off to pick a sleigh, my husband would grab a saw. Bundled up from head to toe we went in search of the perfect tree. Wondering the rows and rows we would carefully select the right tree for us. The kids and I would hold it steady while my husband cut it down. Then we’d haul it back to the main area where they’d hoist it up and shake it, dislodging loose needles, nests, and other things you had no wish to take home with you. Then they netted it and you tied it to the hood of your vehicle for the trip home. But not before you partook of hot chocolate and cookies and bought popcorn to feed the reindeer. We did this for years and loved it.

Sadly, there is no longer a Christmas tree farm so now it’s off to the lot to pick one out. But it’s still fresh. We still bring it home and string the branches with colored lights. We add some garland and then hang the branches with my collection of handcrafted ornaments. Some woven, some pewter, some molded, and some carved. This year I added a little felted owl sitting on a branch.

We also set up an artificial tree. That makes two trees to decorate but that’s okay. On this tree we hang all the decorations the kids have ever made. Going all the way back to those first early years when we had no money for anything and a lot of green branches fill. Then there are the school year additions like the wooden spoon reindeer with the bent up antlers and missing eye. The painted light bulb growling moose always makes us laugh. This tree sits in the dining room. All the people coming and going can admire the soft fairy lights showcasing the droopy soapflake angel, the ball with little bits of festive material jabbed into it, pencil marks included. This delightful display of arts and crafts of Christmas seasons past reminds me of how precious time is. When we decorate this tree I swear I hear little feet running and small voices whispering. I remember tiny helping hands. It is one of my most precious collections.

For every year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee,
Oh Christmas tree, Oh Christmas tree,
Much pleasure to you bring me!

Please join me at my website for a chance to win a digital copy of my romantic suspense, Backlash. Small town heroes race the clock to save a young boy. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Peace and Love!

http://karyngood.com/blog/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas Eats - Jana Richards

Christmas Eats
Jana Richards
http://www.janarichards.com


My maternal grandmother wasn’t happy unless we cleaned our plates. Actually, she wasn’t happy until we’d stuffed ourselves silly and could barely walk out of her house. She showed her love by feeding us, and she loved us a lot.

Never did Granny show us more love than at Christmas. In our family, cabbage rolls, tasty packets of ground pork and rice, seasoned with salt, pepper, onions and garlic, and stuffed inside leaves of sour cabbage, were staples at every function. Depending on what had been raised the on the farm that year, we had turkey or goose for Christmas dinner, expertly roasted by Granny to crispy brown perfection. The bounty of Granny and Grandpa’s gigantic garden the previous summer meant that we always had bowls filled to overflowing with fluffy mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. In the “not from the garden” category were salads made from Jell-o and canned fruit cocktail, or perhaps Jell-o and mini marshmallows. Sometimes we’d have lettuce salad, but the quality of fresh vegetables in our 1960s small town store in the middle of a Canadian winter was hit or miss.

Always accompanying the main dishes were homemade breads and buns that melted on the tongue. The aroma of freshly baked bread filled Granny’s house, making this simple staple a highlight of the meal. Next came an array of pickles from the extensive collection in Granny’s cellar. There were always pickled cucumbers, preserved with dill, garlic and tiny chili peppers to give them a spicy bite. Granny also pickled beets, pearl onions, carrots and beans in various combinations in a range from sweet to spicy. If it grew in the garden, Granny pickled it, canned it, froze it or preserved it in some manner.

And then, if we could expand our stomachs just a bit more, along came dessert. The baking had started weeks before with the fruit cake, stuffed with dried and candied fruit in a moist, dark batter. Once baked, the fruit cake needed time to age and ripen. Granny wrapped it in brown paper and stored it under the bed until it was ready. There were cookies of all kinds including jam-jams, two layers of moist cookie with homemade raspberry or strawberry jam sandwiched in between. Then came Granny’s famous butter tarts, a delicious concoction of butter, brown sugar, egg and raisins baked inside a flakey tart shell. I have a memory of my cousin and I sneaking into Granny’s freezer and stealing the tarts she’d made for a special occasion. We got into trouble but it was worth it for a taste of mouth-watering, sugary goodness.

But my favorite dessert of all was strudel. The strudel was also made weeks before Christmas and required a team to assemble. My mother, one or two of my aunts, and perhaps a neighbor lady or two, arrived and the work began. Granny mixed up a batch of dough for the strudel, a kind of phyllo pastry that could be worked and stretched like a rubber band. Despite its flexibility, the delicate strudel pastry required careful handling; too vigorous a pull would result in a tear. Granny and her team gently stretched the pastry, slipping their hands underneath and carefully pulling and kneading until the pastry reached every corner of Granny’s dining room table, an area about six feet long and four feet wide.

Sometimes I was allowed to help spread the pastry with chunks of peeled apple, raisins, generous sprinkles of cinnamon and sugar, and dollops of butter. Once that was finished, I stood back and let the team begin the delicate task of rolling the strudel. With one aunt on each end, one working the middle, and Granny supervising the whole operation, the strudel was rolled, jelly roll fashion, until it was a long tube consisting of layer upon layer of paper thin pastry with pieces of apple and cinnamon sugar trapped in between. Granny cut the strudel into family sized portions, giving several sections to her helpers and popping the rest into the freezer to be eaten at her own Christmas dinner.

I looked forward to the strudel every Christmas. It didn’t feel like Christmas until the strudel had been served.
Our family followed the German tradition of celebrating on Christmas Eve. After the Christmas Eve children’s concert at the church, in which my cousins and I recited our memorized parts and received a brown paper bag filled with candy and mandarin oranges for our efforts, we all congregated at Granny and Grandpa’s tiny house to open presents and eat. Delicious cooking smells mixed with the cold night air as we entered the front door. Pungent sour cabbage intertwined with roast turkey and cinnamon and apples. Every window in the house fogged from the cooking heat and steam. The house was filled to capacity with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. Though all the leaves had been placed in the dining room table, we still had to eat in shifts, the men and children going first and the women last. Granny would hover over us through both shifts, refilling empty bowls, clearing dishes, and always exhorting us to “Eat, eat!” We did our best to comply.

Granny’s been gone now for many years, as are my father and grandfather and several of my aunts and uncles. I live far away from the cousins I grew up with, and don’t see them as often as I’d like to. Life now is far different then it was in my childhood, and so is Christmas. It’s time to make new traditions.

My daughters and I have attempted to recreate Granny’s cabbage rolls, with mixed results. They might not be as good as the originals, but the joy we get from making them together makes up for whatever they lack in taste. We’ve replaced salads made Jell-o and tiny marshmallows for ones with lentils, beans, and arugula. Apple pie is substituted for apple strudel, the recipe for my favorite dessert having died with my grandmother.

But one thing will never change. Christmas means getting together with friends and family over a sumptuous meal. For me, food is synonymous with love. When I find myself telling guests to “Eat, eat!”, I think of Granny and smile. a Rafflecopter giveaway

An Italian Tradition-Struffoli - Diana Rubino

An Italian Tradition-Struffoli (Honey Balls)
Diana Rubino
www.dianarubinoauthor.blogspot.com

www.dianarubino.com


When my grandparents came from Naples and landed at Ellis Island in the early 1900s they brought many recipes with them, but only in their heads. No one brought cookbooks or written recipes on the boat along with their possessions. A favorite Chrismas treat is Struffoli, better known as Honey Balls. One Christmas when I was a kid, I watched my grandmother make them and scribbled down the ingredients as she sifted and mixed and baked and drizzled. Here's an accurate recipe in English!

Ingredients

Dough:
• 2 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 large lemon, zested (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1/2 large orange, zested (about 2 teaspoons)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 stick (2 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon white wine, such as pinot grigio
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Canola oil, for frying
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Note)
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• Sugar sprinkles, for decoration
• Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Directions

For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together 2 cups of flour, lemon zest, orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add the eggs, wine, and vanilla. Pulse until the mixture forms into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough until 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece of dough into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut each strip of pastry into 1/2-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a small ball about the size of a hazelnut. Lightly dredge the dough balls in flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, pour enough oil to fill the pan about a third of the way. Heat over medium heat until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. (If you don't have a thermometer a cube of bread will brown in about 3 minutes.). In batches, fry the dough until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (The rested and quartered dough can also be rolled on a floured work surface into 1/2-inch thick logs and cut into equal-sized 1/2-inch pieces. The dough pieces can then be rolled into small balls and fried as above).

In a large saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, and lemon juice over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the fried dough and hazelnuts and stir until coated in the honey mixture. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan for 2 minutes.

Spray the outside of a small, straight-sided water glass with vegetable oil cooking spray and place in the center of a round platter. Using a large spoon or damp hands, arrange the struffoli and hazelnuts around the glass to form a wreath shape. Drizzle any remaining honey mixture over the struffoli. Allow to set for 2 hours (can be made 1 day in advance). Decorate with sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar, if using. Remove the glass from the center of the platter and serve.

Note: To toast the hazelnuts, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven until lightly toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely before using.

Total Time: 4 hr 12 min
Prep: 1 hr 30 min
Yield:8 to 10 servings

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Christmas Cookies by Debra St. John

Christmas Cookies
Debra St. John
http://www.debrastjohnromance.com

For me Christmas is all about tradition. From the decorating to the shopping to the events to the gatherings, we do things the same way each and every year. That's not to say that new things aren't added, but it's those time-honored traditions that really bring warm, cozy feelings to my heart for the holidays. It's definitely too hard to choose my favorite thing about Christmas...everything about Christmas is wonderful...but one tradition I love is cookie baking.

Growing up, Grandma would always bake her cut out cookies (recipe below) for the holidays. She's gone now, but Mom has carried on the tradition and makes them every year. She even uses some of Grandma's original cookie cutters, although she's added a few of her own as well. But even though Mom is baking them these days, the first bite always brings memories of Grandma. And there's nothing sweeter than that.

Until a few years ago, the hubby and I left the baking of Christmas cookies to the Moms. On Christmas Eve and Day, we'd arrive with empty cookie tins in hand and fill them up. But for the last five or six years or so, we've been baking our own cookies as well. I haven't been brave enough to tackle Grandma's cut outs yet, but we set aside a Saturday, gather the ingredients, and spend most of the day in the kitchen baking up yummy treats. And while we have our favorites, both to eat and to bake, it's fun to see what other people consider to be favorites. The sheer variety of cookies out there never fails to amaze me.

Of course all of this cookie eating can be hard on the waistline, so we always wind up sharing some of our bounty with friends, who are always appreciative.

So from our house to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Cookie Baking!


Grandma’s Old Fashioned Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter - softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2½ cups flour
1 t baking powder
2 T orange juice
1 t vanilla


Directions:

Cream butter, sugar, and egg until light and fluffy. Beat in flour, baking powder, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Chill 2-3 hours or until firm enough to be rolled. Roll out dough, about 1/3 at a time, on well-floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 6 – 10 minutes or until golden brown on edges. Frost if desired.

Yield – 6 dozen 2 inch cookies

Note: For a crisper cookie, roll to 1/8 inch thickness. For a softer cookie, roll to ¼ inch thickness. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Feast of the Seven Fishes - Maria K. Alexander

Feast of the Seven Fishes – My Italian Tradition
Maria K. Alexander
http://mariakalexander.com

Having grown up in an Italian household, food has always been an important part of family gatherings. We’d started eating in the early afternoon and continue well into the evening. And that was on a weekly basis, not just holidays!

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of Christmas Eve at my grandparents’ house. We celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as Vigilia di Natale, or Vigil of the Nativity. The significance of the seven fish represents the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church (Baptism, Penance, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick). A typical celebration would start with the fish in the early afternoon and then hours later we'd have pasta, followed by dessert.

For the kids in the family, the significance of the evening didn't extend beyond eating and getting presents. I remember my grandmother wearing a housecoat while breading and frying fish. The kitchen was full of women moving around in organized chaos preparing what would be a fabulous meal. As a child, I wasn’t the greatest of eaters. Saying I was horrible is probably an understatement. Thankfully my tastes have improved over the years, although I still don’t like broccoli rabe or savoy cabbage (what my family calls “veds”). Sorry, Mom.

Unfortunately times have changed and most people have to work a full day on Christmas Eve. Today, we cram what used to be a leisurely smorgasbord of food that spanned a half day into a few hours. While the fish may slightly vary each year, usually we have: crab cakes (my personal favorite), shrimp (cocktail & fried), flounder, scallops (fried and broiled), calamari, clams or mussels, tuna (or crab, if I’m lucky) sauce for the pasta. In addition to the main course, we'll have an antipasto, salad, plus various veggies like stuffed peppers and broccoli rabe. And let’s not forget dessert. Christmas cookies, fried bows, pizzelles, and biscotti are some of what grace the dessert table.

As an adult, while the food is still important, it also means spending time with family I don't see as much as I'd like to. While the number of family members has dwindled over the years, we continue to gather together to celebrate this wonderful tradition and love that will bond us forever.

My wish for you this holiday season is to remember your loved ones—present and past. Life is busy and the craziness of our schedules makes it sometimes a challenge to sit and appreciate being together with family. This year, may you stop and capture a moment in time and cherish it in your mind and heart forever.

In honor of this special tradition in my family, I’ll share my grandmother’s recipe for crab cakes.

Buon Appetito!


Elvira’s Crab Cakes


Ingredients

White Sauce
½ stick margarine
3 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Filling
1 pound lump crabmeat (fresh or canned)
8 slices bread (crust removed & cubed)
1 small onion, diced (or ½ large onion)
Oregano
1 egg slightly beaten
Salt & Pepper
Italian Flavored Panko or Breadcrumbs

Instructions

White Sauce
1. Melt margarine in a small pot.
2. Add 3 tbsp flour slowly, stirring to keep smooth.
3. Add salt & pepper and 1 cup of milk. (I’ve substituted ¾ cup soy milk & ¼ water for anyone who has a milk allergy)
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until thick and bubbles slowly.

Filling
1. Place crab meat in colander and rinse. Remove any visible pieces of shell.
2. Place drained crab meat in bowl. Add bread cubes, salt & pepper, onion, oregano, and egg. Mix well.
3. Add white sauce and mix.
4. Refrigerate 1 hour.
5. Form oval patties (wet hands slightly with water to help shape) and roll in Italian Flavored Panko (or Italian breadcrumbs) until fully coated.
6. Deep fry.

To celebrate the holiday and debut of my contemporary romance, UNTANGLE MY HEART, where my characters share more about Italian holiday traditions, please stop by the “Contest” page of my website (http://mariakalexander.com) for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo. May you have a joyous and Christmas and New Year! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bad Santa - L. A. Kelley

Bad Santa
L. A. Kelley
http://lakelleythenaughtylist.blogspot.com

In The Naughty List Santa (or the Santa, as I call him) is far removed from Thomas Nast’s depiction of a right jolly old elf with a jelly belly. Before you put me on your own naughty list for desecrating a well-loved legend be advised the yuletide wasn’t always so ho-ho-ho. Throughout the years Santa and Saint Nick have had more than a few naughty sidekicks. Wikipedia provides lots of examples.

Germanic legend relates bratty kids didn’t just get a lump of coal in their stocking. (Which would have been a practical gift in pre-central heating days.) Instead, they were visited by a demonic figure with a sadistic smile and snake-like tongue known as Grampus. He chased down the little miscreants, stuffed them into a basket on his back, and then hauled them off to the amusement of the holiday shoppers. Since the name Grampus is derived from the Old High German word for ‘claw’, let’s just say those kids didn’t end up at the North Pole singing carols while they decorated gingerbread.

Black Peter was the Scandinavian companion to Saint Nicholas, who you’d think as a holy man would have had more discriminating tastes. Black Peter was jolly old Saint Nick’s own personal enslaved devil who dealt with the messy job of eliminating mischievous children—rather like the mob enforcer to the yuletide don. Black Peter uses a sack instead of a basket, but the results are the same as with Grampus. The children disappear and Saint Nick retains plausible deniability. Children? What children? I didn’t see nothing.

Servant Rupert was raised as a foundling by Saint Nick who apparently didn’t cotton to being an adoptive parent. Instead, Rupert became Nick’s lackey manservant. His assignment was to show up at a child’s door and demand a song and dance. If Rupert liked the performance, a small gift would be bestowed (most likely, grudgingly.) If not, he’d beat the poor talentless little bastard with a stick. For good measure, Rupert would then plunk him into the ubiquitous sack to be hauled off to oblivion. The same technique should be adopted on modern day talent shows.

So, remember, boys and girls, Santa and his demonic minions are always watching. They’re ready to drag you to hell in a heartbeat if you don’t measure up their impossibly high standards this holiday season. Sleep tight, my little sugar plums. Stay on the Nice List. The sack awaits those who don’t. a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Day of the Dutch - J.C. McKenzie

The Day of the Dutch (Sinterklaas Dag)
J.C. McKenzie
http://www.jcmckenzie.ca


My father was born in one of the oldest towns in the Netherlands and grew up skating on frozen dikes and eating salted licorice. Then the world turned to chaos. Our family survived the Second World War and Nazi occupation, but after the Berlin Blockade of 1948, many, including my Opa, feared communism would sweep Europe.

As the cost to rebuild far exceeded the cost of providing a cash incentive, the Dutch government paid citizens to leave the country, and Canada offered a fresh start to many Dutch families. My dad immigrated to Canada with his family when he was ten years old. He learned English on the boat over to North America by reading comic books and once his family settled in Ontario, his dad (my Opa) switched to speaking English and insisted the family be “Canadian,” not Dutch. He wanted to blend in and embrace his new country.

Although my dad complied and became very much an English speaking Canadian, one Dutch celebration remained—Sinterklaas Dag.

Saint Nicholas is what the North American Santa Claus is partly based on, but there are a few differences. Sinterklaas rides on a white horse instead of a sleigh pulled by twelve reindeer (thirteen if you count Rudolph); instead of elves, he as a helper named Zwarte Piet; and instead of gifts on December 25th, Sinterklaas delivers chocolate, kruidnootjes (small ginger cookies) and other goodies on December 5th in children’s wooden clogs (klompen) if they’ve been good. If they’ve been bad, the children get coal in their klompen. If they’ve been really bad, Zwarte Piet would throw them in his sack and take them away.

On December 5th, my sister and I would wake up, excited, and run to the kitchen, smelling of oatmeal, to find our chocolate letters. I always thought her “H” had more chocolate than my “J” and wished I could change my name. My dad would prattle off something in Dutch with a glint in his eye. He’d pull our pigtails and tease us about having to wait until after dinner to eat our chocolate. We never did.

Later, I would check my usually empty mailbox in the dorms at University to find my chocolate letter. Even later, when living in New Zealand with my husband, I’d receive the chocolate letter, shipped all the way from Canada with love. Even now, as an adult with my own family, a little package arrives in the mail with letters for me, my husband, my son.

December 5th is the day the Dutch celebrate Sinterklaas. To me, it’s a day of love, smelling of oatmeal and chocolate, and the day I celebrate my Dutch heritage. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nothing Short of A Miracle - Carol Henry

Nothing Short of A Miracle Christmas Traditions
Carol Henry
http://www.carolhenry.org

Christmas is the most traditional time of year at the Henry household, leftover traditions from my growing up years. Actually, the traditions start over Thanksgiving. Yes, we are Black Friday shoppers. At one time we would all hop up into my parent’s motor-home—between 10 – 12 of us, and my father would drive us to the mall. We’d pair up or go our separate ways, meet up in the middle of the mall, go to lunch, then sing Christmas Carols all the way home. In later years we’d car pool, meet at the mall, go for lunch, and finish shopping. We’d still sing Christmas Carols all the way home. Christmas Day, after my sisters had their own celebrations, we’d all gather at my home for dinner--all 40+ of us. Thankfully, our family room was big enough to handle all the relatives, kids, and even friends for a sit down meal. However, as we continued to grow in number, we gather at the local lodge for our festive gathering and sit down dinner. Anyone else out there a Black Friday shopper? How do you handle it?

Decorating the house starts right after Thanksgiving and in no time the house is festooned in glittering, sparkling lights for the season—inside and out. Cookie baking day with the grandgirls fills the house with the aroma of cinnamon, ginger, warmth, and laughter. This tradition started in the mid-1980s when my daughter married and moved to England while her husband served in the Air Force. My nieces came to help bake cookies to send to them. Later, when they came back with my first granddaughter in tow, the tradition continued. Ever since, the girls arrive early Saturday morning, and stir up memories along with cookies. Around 4:30 p.m. we gather around the decorated dining room table sparkling with china, crystal and silver where we enjoy a formal tea by candle light, while Christmas Carols serenade us in the background.

Christmas music fills the house, while my husband spends hours setting up his trains and village under the tree, I set up my David Winter Cottage Christmas houses and village scene on the mantle, and set up the nativity. The entire house is covered in Christmas greenery, reds and golds. It’s a festive and heartwarming time of year as we open our doors and entertain our friends, neighbors, and family right through up to and including New Year’s Eve. How much decorating do you do? When do you start putting up those lights?

With such inspiring family traditions, Nothing Short of A Miracle, just released from The Wild Rose Press in digital and print, was a such a joy to write. A spicy romantic story full of children, holiday spirit, spicy aromas, a crackling fire in the hearth, family gatherings searching for that perfect tree, decorating it, and singing Christmas Carols. And of course, that happy-ever-after just in time for the holidays. Enjoy. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Delight Out of Disaster - Nikki Andrews

Delight Out of Disaster--A Christmas Tradition
Nikki Andrews
www.nikkiandrewsbooks.com

My dad’s maiden Aunt Mabel was a big, hearty woman who could swing a bat or lay patio stone as well as any man. Her eyes crinkled when she laughed--and she laughed a lot--and she invariably took charge of any group she found herself in. Including her church, the little community where she had a summer cottage, and any family gathering. We were a big family, and we gathered often. Mabel was always the one organizing games, chores, or sing-alongs, and she always had a passel of kids around her.

Mabel delighted in children, birds, and wordplay. She was the one who ignited the family passion for reversing and mangling words. “Pass the tlas and reppep!” “I need the rugas and klim!” “Let’s have ghettispa and meatblubs!”

When I was in my early teens, she decreed I needed to learn to make “mooshmellow foodge” for Christmas treats. Marshmallow, butter, sugar, chocolate, cream--what could go wrong? Not much, really, and for years I made fudge every Christmas. It was easy and reliable, if messy, and produced five pounds of candy in every batch. My kids loved helping, though they got bored with the long boiling step.

Except for one Christmas. I’ve never figured out what went wrong, but the fudge never set. Did I add too much cream? Not enough sugar? Was I chasing a five-year-old when I should have been stirring? Whatever the cause, my planned gifts of prettily packaged fudge ended up as a thick, gooey mess of…mooshmellow sludge?

I cried. Mabel, by that time no longer able to cook, had been looking forward to my fudge. It was one of those years when I couldn’t afford to try again. What a disaster!

The glop sat in the fridge for a day or two, until I noticed it was disappearing. Evaporating? Nope, the kids were licking up fingerfuls. And thus was born a new dish--Spoon Fudge! I put it in jars, tied on wooden ice cream spoons, and made Mabel laugh.

Herewith is the recipe I use, printed on containers of marshmallow fluff. If yours turns out to be Spoon Fudge, let me know what you did right.

Marshmallow Fudge
5 cups sugar
10 oz evaporated milk
¼ pound butter
16 oz marshmallow fluff
1 tsp salt (I usually leave out)
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
24 oz. chocolate chips.

1. Combine sugar, milk, butter, fluff, salt and vanilla in a very large saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat. Stir until blended.
2. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Boil slowly, stirring constantly, for five minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate and nuts until chips are melted. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan and cool. Cut into 1” chunks to serve.



Please visit my blog, www.scrivenersriver.blogspot.com, for my recipe for Killer Pancakes and a sneak preview of my cozy mystery, Framed. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Santa's Journey - Darcy Lundeen

Santa's Journey From Viking Myth to Your Rooftop
(The No-Frills, CliffsNotes Version)
Darcy Lundeen
http://www.darcylundeen.blogspot.com


Santa Claus, that beloved icon who symbolizes the joy and bountiful giving of Christmas, has had a long journey to become the figure we now know as a benevolent older gentleman with a bushy white beard, a booming ho-ho-ho laugh, a definitely elevated BMI, and a penchant for sporting fur-trimmed red outfits.

Some experts have traced his roots to Norse mythology and likened him to the powerful, bearded, one-eyed god, Odin, who rode across the winter sky on his swift eight-legged horse as he brought gifts to children.

But most scholars agree that his more immediate predecessor was St. Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop of Myra, Turkey. Known as a generous man, who gave his entire inheritance away to ease the burdens of those in need, he has been credited with guiding ships lost in stormy seas to safe harbors, bringing murdered children back to life, and giving bags full of gold to three sisters so that they’d have dowries and be able to wed rather than being sold into prostitution or slavery by their destitute father.

Even if some, or all, of these incidents never happened but are strictly apocryphal, they still succeeded in making him one of the world’s most revered saints and in earning him the title of both Miracle Worker and Gift Giver. It was this second attribute—his selfless habit of giving gifts to the needy—that ultimately tied him to the Santa Claus of today.

As his fame spread from one country to another, the traditions that arose to celebrate him understandably varied to reflect local customs.

In twelfth-century France and Belgium, nuns distributed gifts to poor children to duplicate his generosity.

In thirteenth-century Germany and Poland, boys who had been chosen to play the part of St. Nicholas both officiated at religious services and wandered the town begging for alms to help the poor.

In sixteenth-century England, each parish sent a man dressed in hooded robes to leave a small gift at every home in imitation of his charity.

In seventeenth-century Holland, as December 6th (St. Nicholas’s feast day) approached, markets were set up to sell the food and toys that parents put in their children’s shoes. Because the shoes were always placed beside the fireplace, children soon came to believe that Sinterklaas (Dutch for St. Nicholas) had ridden over the rooftops on his white horse as he dropped the gifts down the chimney.

When the Dutch came to the New World, of course they brought their traditions with them, just as other Europeans did. But it was only years later, after the Revolutionary War, that their Sinterklaas celebration gained such prominence that important elements of it were used to send St. Nick on the part of his journey that would eventually transform him from St. Nicholas, a rather austere, if gentle, religious figure, into Santa Claus, a cuddly secular icon.

Author Washington Irving was a major force in aiding this change. His satiric novel, “A History of New York,” written under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, went a long way toward advancing this separation by presenting Sinterklaas not as a tall, thin, saintly individual but as a short, plump, worldly person who smoked a pipe, wore a green coat, and rode over treetops in a flying wagon as he tossed presents down the chimneys.

But the thing that ultimately changed the guy in the red suit into the magical presence we all know and love was the poem “The Night before Christmas,” written by an erudite biblical scholar, Clement Clarke Moore. (Unless, as some have claimed, the author was actually Henry Livingston Jr., a genial farmer, who composed bright and breezy poetry for his children. But that’s a subject for another day.)

The poem moves the occasion of St. Nick’s gift giving from the eve of his December 6th feast day to Christmas Eve. It also envisions him as being small—in other words, “a right jolly old elf.” But within a few decades, the popular nineteenth-century cartoonist, Thomas Nast, had changed that image. Not only was Nast depicting him as a regulation size human, he had also provided Santa with a home at the North Pole and a workshop where he could build the toys he so lavishly dispenses to children around the world.

Eventually a cadre of happy, hard-working elves also appeared to aid him in his work, and finally even a Mrs. Claus arrived to keep him company on those long northern nights.

Once Santa had his own unique appearance, his own home, workplace, elfin helpers, and wife, his separation from St. Nicholas was at last complete, and so was his journey.

All in all, it’s been a long journey for him too, one that lasted many centuries and covered thousands of miles as it turned him from Viking god into Christian saint and then into our current secular symbol of Christmas generosity and good cheer.

And, as it always does, that journey reaches its annual zenith this year on Christmas Eve, when the beloved man in the bright red suit will once again find his way to your rooftop with his bottomless sack of goodies.

Want to know what St. Nicholas might really have looked like? Remains buried in the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy are reputed to belong to him, and in 2004, a facial reconstruction was performed on the bones.

The following links will take you to pages that show the result.

So if you’re interested in knowing how the renowned fourth-century bishop and saint looked, check them out and see if you think St. Nicholas’s face bears a resemblance to the religious depictions of him that are also included.

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/real-face and http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/how-he-may-have-looked a Rafflecopter giveaway

Magical Traditions of Christmastime - Karen Michelle Nutt

Magical Traditions of Christmastime
Karen Michelle Nutt
http://www.kmnbooks.com

Billions of people celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, but even those who do not celebrate know about the traditions associated with the celebration. Some of the traditions date back centuries. My characters Alan and Hyatt from Magic of the Loch have been around long enough to not only appreciate the traditions through the years, but they would have participated in them.

Christmas Tree
Trees were important symbols in the Pagan culture. The druids revered the oak. The Romans believed Evergreens had special powers to return life. From this belief the Christians eventually used the Evergreen to symbolize eternal life. The Vikings hung war trophies for good luck on fir and ash trees. In the middle ages, the Church decorated trees nearby on Christmas Eve with apples. This tradition was named Adam and Eve Day.


The Yule Log was once an ancient sun worship ritual. The Vikings burned the log in honor of their god Thor. The Druids selected a large tree bearing fruit or an oak tree. They would bless the log and light the piece with a scrap from the last year’s Yule Log to symbolize the log was ‘ever-burning’. The Druids believed this ritual would promote bountiful crops, provide light and warmth for the dead and cleanse the fire by burning up all the evil of the past year.

Druid priests used mistletoe in their sacred rituals over two hundred years before the birth of Christ. They revered the plant with no roots and the ability to remain green during the winter months. The Celts believed mistletoe had magical healing powers. They used it as an antidote for poison, infertility and to ward off evil spirits. They also thought of the plant as the symbol of peace. Scandinavians associated the plant with their love goddess, Frigga. This perhaps is where we derive out custom of kissing under the mistletoe. Those who kissed under the mistletoe would have happiness and good luck for the next year.

To be eligible to win an Ebook copy of Magic of the Loch:
1. Leave a comment here on this blog.
2. Pop on over to my Website: http://www.kmnbooks.com and answer the magical question. Leave your answer in the comments and your email and you’re entered in the giveaway! May your holiday bring you joy!

About the Author:
Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband, three fascinating children, and houseful of demanding pets. Jack, her Chorkie, is her writing buddy and sits long hours with her at the computer.

When she’s not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates pre-made book covers to order at Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover”. You can also check out her published cover art designs at Western Trail Blazer and Rebecca J. Vickery Publishing.

Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, historical or time travel, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.

Visit the author at: http://www.kmnbooks.com
Stop by her blog for Monday interviews, chats and contests at:
http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com
Gillian’s Book Covers
Judge Your Book By Its Cover
http://judgeyourbookbyitscover.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkarenmichellenutt
Twitter:https://twitter.com/KMNbooks
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/karenmnutt/
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Michelle-Nutt/e/B002BLLBPE

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Perfect Christmas Tree - Ginger Hanson

The Perfect Christmas Tree
Ginger Hanson
http://www.gingerhanson.com


We passed a neighbor's house the other day and I noticed their fresh Christmas tree tied with twine and leaning against the fence. Several hours later, we returned home. By then it was dark, but standing in an uncurtained front window of the same house was their decorated Christmas tree, its lights twinkling cheer into the night.

I was shocked.

A Christmas tree purchased and decorated within hours! I always assumed everyone made a several day production out of buying and decorating a Christmas tree.

My husband does.

First, comes the buying. The tree on the lot must be untied, in an upright position, and available for a thorough examination. Next, the tree has to have a good Christmas tree shape or one correctable by a nip here or a tuck there. Finally, my husband makes sure the top is properly stemmed to hold the spired tree topper.

Only then is the tree purchased, loaded in the van, and brought home.

Now for the prepping. The tree is put into the tree stand in the garage. It is not decorated for several days because the tree needs time to "fall out" before my husband can determine how much to trim. Once it’s trimmed, the tree enters the house.

Finally, the decorating.

Ah, the joy of decorating a Christmas tree with my husband.

The first step is to put on the lights which entails layering them from the trunk outward in order to achieve maximum effect. Next, the silver garland and strings of silver beads are draped around the tree. Finally, my husband places the spired topper on the treetop. If all goes well, he only needs to check the tree from various angles and do a little tweaking before announcing it is now ready for the ornaments.

Which is where we butt heads.

He’s traditional conservative, while I’m eclectic whimsical–a basic difference in taste. Traditional means hang a few dozen matching glass ornaments and you’re done. Whimsical means hang those matching glass ornaments, but give the tree some pzazz with a zillion cute little ornaments.

Now you’re done.

My ornament selection drives my husband nuts. He can’t figure out why I’d want to put a Santa flying his biplane next to an angel made from a cotton boll. While I admit there’s a place for the traditionally decorated tree–like a department store–they don’t reflect my personal philosophy which runs along the lines of “isn’t this cute, I think I’ll buy it for the Christmas tree.”
Then I put it on the tree while my husband grumbles about how my Christmas ornaments mess up his perfect tree. Frankly, I disagree with him. I think my choice of ornaments makes the tree perfect. Just as the family that buys and decorates their tree on the same day believes they have the perfect tree.

That’s the miracle of the Christmas tree. Once any tree has been decorated, it’s the perfect Christmas tree. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Thanksgivukkah? - Marilyn Baron

Happy Thanksgivukkah?
Marilyn Baron
www.marilynbaron.com

This year was the first year in my lifetime—or anybody’s lifetime—that the first day of Hanukkah—The Festival of Lights—fell on Thanksgiving. It’s a phenomenon that won’t happen again in 79,000 years. People coined the term “Thanksgivukkah,” to commemorate the unlikely convergence of the two holidays. I remember times when Hanukkah coincided with Christmas, but never Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving and Hanukkah are two of my favorite holidays so I don’t mind if they fall on the same day. They’re both meant to be enjoyed with good food and family.

Hanukkah lasts eight days. The Hanukkah tradition is to light the menorah, a 9-candle ceremonial lamp with space for eight candles, representing one for each night of the holiday, and one candle to light the rest. Hanukkah is a festive holiday. Families sing songs, play a game called dreidel, a spinning top, and exchange gifts. This year a young boy invented a Menurkey, a turkey-shaped menorah.

This Thanksgiving we celebrated with our family in Florida but we had the traditional Thanksgiving and then made latkes separately for the rest of the holiday.

When I had younger children, we would give them one gift each night. Now that they’re grown and out of the house, we typically give or send them one big gift. In the old days, I remember my grandparents lining up the grandchildren and handing out a dollar each. Now the money comes in the form of chocolate coins you can buy at the grocery store.

My favorite memory of Hanukkah is eating the traditional potato pancakes or latkes. You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy potato latkes. My sister Elaine makes great latkes. They require a lot of effort, but when done right, they are crispy and delicious. My mother made great latkes when we were growing up. Today, I just buy them out of a box in the grocery freezer section. They’re not nearly as good. It is traditional to top the latkes with a little sour cream and some applesauce. I prefer applesauce and I also like mine sprinkled with sugar.

Here is my sister’s recipe and a picture of her potato pancakes. Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgivukkah, a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

POTATO LATKES

Ingredients:

1 onion
4-5 Idaho potatoes
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup matzoh meal
Salt: I put one teaspoon, then sprinkle more on as they fry
Pepper, freshly ground, several twists
Cheesecloth

Directions;

Mix the salt, pepper, baking powder together with the matzoh meal.
Peel the potatoes and drop right away into a large bowl of icy water.
Chop onion: I use a food processor. Decide how fine to chop.
Do not drain liquid from the onion.
In a large bowl, crack the eggs and beat ( not too much)

Heat large skillets: Cast iron, or any good pan. Use more than one to speed up the cooking. Start low, and when almost ready with the completed mixture, raise heat.
During frying, I constantly monitor the heat level, starting on medium high, then adding the mixture, then turning down to about medium. Then back up to medium high with the next batch, and so on.

I cut the potatoes lengthwise, and in a food processor, using the shred attachment, shred a few at a time. Then I take out the shredded potatoes, into a big bowl, put the chop attachment on, and put the shredded
potatoes back into the processor, then give just a few pulses (5-10), until a nice chopped consistency (not too big, but not too finely chopped, either).

Then put the potatoes into a cheesecloth (in the sink) and squeeze as much liquid starch as you can!. Then put the squeezed potatoes right into the eggs, and mix around with your hands to absorb the potato mixture.

Repeat this process until all the potatoes are in the egg mixture.

Add the onions and dry mixture to the egg and potato mixture and mix: I use my hands.

Add oil to the fry pan(s), and wait until the oil is hot (but not burning). Add mixture by tablespoons, not too thick. Fry in hot oil. Turn when golden. Keep adding oil to pan before each new batch. The more oil, the better it
tastes. The first batch never tastes as good as the rest.

Enjoy!



Marilyn Baron is a public relations consultant in Atlanta, a member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers, and a charter member of the Petit Fours and Hot Tamales blog www.petitfoursandhottamales.com. She has published four books with The Wild Rose Press: Under the Moon Gate, a romantic thriller/historical set in Bermuda; the prequel, Destiny: A Bermuda Love Story, a historical novella; Significant Others, a humorous women’s fiction set at a retirement condo in Boca; and Sixth Sense, a romantic suspense novel, the first in the Psychic Crystal Mystery Series. The second in the series, Homecoming Homicides, will be out in 2014. You can read more about Marilyn’s books and short stories on her Web site at www.marilynbaron.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

December Releases from the Wild Rose Press

The Last Daughter
Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll
Jessica Ferguson
Release Date: 12-04-2013

Aspen Shift
Lindsay K. McFerrin
Release Date: 12-04-2013

A Taste of Chocolate
Vonnie Davis
Release Date: 12-04-2013

Journey of the Magi
Barbara Edwards
Release Date: 12-04-2013

Another Man's Treasure
Anna Kittrell
Release Date: 12-06-2013

The Naughty List
L. A. Kelley
Release Date: 12-06-2013

Teach me to Ride
Rachel Leigh
Release Date 12-06-2013

Garden of Memory
Kalliope Bell
Release Date: 12-11-2013

A Song for Sophie
Honky Tonk Hearts
Mackenzie Crowne
Release Date: 12-11-2013

The Santa Next Door
Stephanie Cage
Release Date: 12-11-2013

A Christmas For Santa
Taylor Anne
Release Date 12-13-2013

Deadly Inheritance
Suzanne Rossi
Release Date: 12-13-2013

Alone No More
Terri Rochenski
Release Date: 12-18-2013

Amanda in the Summer
Brenda Whiteside
Release Date: 12-18-2013

Death Under the Mistletoe
Ashantay Peters
Release Date: 12-18-2013

Sixth Sense
The Crystal-Hale Psychic Detective Agency series
Marilyn Baron
Release Date: 12-20-2013

Outlaw Bride
Lawmen and Outlaws
Tanya Hanson
Release date: 12-20-2013

Surrender
THE DRAGONFLY CHRONICLES
Heather McCollum
Release Date: 12-20-2013

The Master’s Choice
Abby Gordon
Release Date 12-20-2013

Kindle Exclusives - December 2013

Get these titles early exclusively at Amazon Kindle!

Click here

World Wide Release dates in March 2014!

Hurricane Crimes
Chrys Fey

Whiskey Sour Noir
The Hard Stuff
Mickey J. Corrigan

Time for Love
Emma Kaye

Fading Rose
Tales of the Scrimshaw Doll
Tamrie Foxtail

Walking Into Her Heart

A First Realm Novel

Susan JP Owens

A Silver Lining
Flower Basket
T. R. McClure

Pippa's Rescue
JJ Keller

Climbing High
Madelon Smid

Notorious

Seaclusion Series
Leanne Davis

A Red, Red Rose
Susan Coryell

Maximum Memories
Abby Gordon

Untangle My Heart

Tangled Hearts

Maria K. Alexander        

Love Letter for a Sinner
The Sinners sports romances
Lynn Shurr

The Princess and the Templar
Hebby Roman

True Nature

Neely Powell

Taste of Darkness
The Siorai Legacy III
Victoria M. Noxon

Making Room at the Inn

Misty Simon

Purgatory
Colorado series
Denise Moncrief

Mine to Tell
Colleen L. Donnelly

Storms of Passion
Lori Power

Release Day Preparation by Maria K. Alexander

Release Day Preparation by Maria K. Alexander
Maria K. Alexander
http://mariakalexander.com

You’ve prepped and polished your manuscript. You’ve gone through the nail-biting experience of pitching to an editor or agent. You’ve been rejected up the wazoo. After much blood, sweat, and tears, you’ve gotten “the call” and have been offered a publishing contract. Congratulations, you’re getting published! The hard work is over, right?

Wrong!

The moment you sign that contract your life has changed. You will never again be that naïve unpublished writer in search of someone who will believe in your story as much as you do. Rather, you’ll be the naïve soon-to-be-published author who is in search of finding ways to reach your readers. Sound familiar?

Discoverability. Friend or foe? Art or Science? Whether a writer or a reader, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with this word. According to http://dictionary.com, the definition is:

Dis*cov`er*a*bil"i*ty\, n. The quality of being discoverable. [R.] --Carlyle.

So what’s the secret of being discovered? Actors and actresses seek it. So do authors. Come along on my journey to release date and read some of the tips I’ve received and put into play.

Maria K. Alexander’s Release Date Checklist:

1. Purchase the URL for my author name. This was easy since I had already done this.
2. Establish an author website. Once, the thought of this could cause me to wake up screaming in the middle of the night. Thankfully, it wasn’t nearly as daunting as it may seem. My initial website was a WordPress blog. It was easy to set up. Once I signed my contract with The Wild Rose Press, I decided to venture into creating something a little more functional. I created a WIX website (http://wix.com). For not a lot of money, I created something professional where I can manage the content.
3. Social Media. I’ve been an active tweeter for a couple years. I’ve also been an active blogger with my critique partners, The Violet Femmes (http://thevioletfemmes.com). I have an author fan page on Facebook, although I haven’t quite figured out how to use it effectively. Let’s just say I’m a work in progress. There’s a definite place for social media as an effective marketing tool. Even if it’s just one thing, learn how to do it effectively.
4. Blog Tours. A good way to meet readers. Having only recently learned of my Amazon KDP release date, I didn’t have time to set-up an official blog tour. It just so happens that my regularly scheduled date to blog with The Violet Femmes is the date of my release. I’ve also lined up a couple other guest posts that will hopefully get to readers. I’m working to have something official planned in early 2014.
5. Goodreads. Get your book up on Goodreads to connect with readers. You can upload your book cover and request participation in their author program.
6. Amazon’s Author Central. You won’t be able to set this up until your book is available. Once it is, go to https://authorcentral.amazon.com and set up your profile.
7. Newsletter. I’m still working on this as of the writing of this blog post. Think of something fun and creative to send to fans. I hope to have my newsletter finished and sent out in time for my November 25th release date. Stop by http://mariakalexander.com and sign up. PLEASE.
8. Plan/schedule your Tweets, Facebook posts. Know what message you want to Tweet and post come release day/week. Organize them in one document for easy access.
9. Giveaway. Do you have a giveaway planned for your release? While it’s certainly not needed, it’s a fun perk and way to entice potential readers to follow you.
10. Consolidate all your marketing info. I created a “Media Kit” file that contains my Author Biography, Book Blurb, and excerpt. That way, when someone asks me for it, I don’t have to go searching in five places for it.

Last of all, BREATHE! This is important when you find yourself having a meltdown because there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything and you don’t know how you’ll be ready for release day. Can you tell what’s been running through my mind, lately?

Will these things work? Hopefully. Will there be other things I should have done that I didn’t think of? Certainly. As a newly published author, there’s only so much I can do. The next book in my series is complete and I’m working on editing it so I can send it out for submission. While marketing and promotion is important, I need to balance it with getting the next story published. That way as I am discovered and people fall in love with my book, hopefully, I can give them more.

I hope you’ll come get tangled in my debut contemporary romance, UNTANGLE MY HEART, which will be available from Amazon starting November 25th, 2013. To celebrate my Kindle release, I’m running a special Rafflecopter contest through December 25th. Please visit the contest page of my website at http://mariakalexander.com and enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Thanks for stopping by!

Maria K. Alexander
http://mariakalexander.com

Buy for Kindle : http://amzn.com/B00GVKRLOG

THE HONEYMOON EFFECT by Liz Flaherty

THE HONEYMOON EFFECT
Liz Flaherty
http://www.lizflaherty.com/

Don’t you just love the honeymoon period?

You’ve already done the run around the kitchen table thing when you typed “The End,” saying yes, yes, YES before you gave much thought to how much you were going to miss the people you’ve been writing about. You’ve said “yes, thank you so much” quietly and with great dignity when a contract was offered, then run around the table again, shrieking this time. Yes, yes, YES. You’ve been through all the rounds of edits and no one has threatened anyone else with death or dismemberment, though there was that time when the copy editor got insistent about serial comas… You have, oh yes, yes, YES one more time, the most glorious cover ever and you get to show it around some. See here? you get to say on 101 guest blogs. Isn’t it just the coolest thing?

The book will be out…oh, soon, but for now, you can share an excerpt. Cut and paste the blurb. Say where you got the idea, what you’re working on now, how you celebrated your sale, what you’d be if you weren’t a writer.

You get to choose swag, wear ribbons that say you’re published, join with other writers who know “the secret.” Because there is one, you know. There must be. You’ve been hearing about “the secret” since the day you joined RWA or other large writers’ groups. Admittedly, published writers usually snickered when they talked about “the secret,” but surely…

Oh, the anticipation of waiting for the book to be out, to be available from the publisher, and on—oh, squee, Amazon! You know you make more money if people order from the publisher, but, really, Amazon! Yes, yes…what? Oh, you get it? I don’t have to say it again? Okay.

The great thing about the honeymoon period is that you get to have it with every single book. I’m as excited about my eighth book as I was the first one. Because they’re all different. THE GIRLS OF TONSIL LAKE is my first women’s fiction title. I loved writing it. Loved it! It will be out…soon.

And then…well, then the honeymoon will be over. What comes next is no less exciting, but it has different sides. It has what amounts to hanging the toilet paper wrong, squeezing toothpaste from the middle, and not being able to hit the hamper from six inches away. I mean, your book is in your hot little hands or, at the very least, your cover is up on Amazon and you’re a presence on Goodreads, but nothing’s really happening. There will be reviews, some worthy of another run around the kitchen table, some creating a cold hard place you have to work hard at melting down into experience. Your sales will be…well, what sales are, and you will have to work at promotion. At selling yourself when all you want to do is sit and write and interact with other writers on Facebook. People will ask when your next book will be out and you’ll have the cold, hard place again because you don’t know. You’re blocked. Your editor didn’t like your next story.

I love the marriage days of being published, the book-on-the-shelves and royalties-in-the-pocket part, even with all its attendant ups and downs, but sometimes—like before every book—it’s fun to be on the honeymoon.

Liz Flaherty
http://www.lizflaherty.com/

What's In a Name? by Kevin Symmons

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Didn’t some sage in the 16^th Century say, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”… perhaps, but would it be as enticing, as interesting?

How would we view romantic fiction’s most popular and notorious heroine were her name Maude instead of Scarlett O’Hara. And what if her long-suffering suitor was named Joe instead of Rhett Butler would he have garnered the same swashbuckling bravado in our imaginations. And this works not only for the bold, the driven, and the beautiful. Let’s try and imagine a dark-hearted, morose old man named Fred instead of Ebenezer Scrooge… not quite the same. And what about Alexandria Eyre? Somehow we find it hard to imagine Charlotte Bronte’s stubborn, small, plain heroine with such an illustrious name.

No, without a doubt, character names have a vital place in both historical and contemporary literature. How often do I here the ladies swoon when the name “Ranger” is mentioned in association with heroine Stephanie Plum. Somehow if Ms. Ivanovich had named him Bob the macho element would definitely be lacking.

Convinced yet. Great!

We authors resort to a wide variety of devices, formulas, and even tricks to try to give their characters names their reading audience will remember. I’ve never subscribed to one of the many services that offer names for sale. I have friends who do. Others search the news media. Some resort to the obituaries searching for names. My best writing friend seeks names that are not only distinctive but give an exotic flavor to her characters. I admit I’m more a grass roots type. I give my characters names that I (and my beta readers) find appropriate not through formula or science but by the touch and feel method.

My debut novel featured a heroine named Courtney (Definition: of the court) who was the embodiment of a one-thousand year old Wiccan Goddess. Her heroine was named Robert… a strong masculine name. I intentionally abbreviated his proper name by having his intimates call him Robbie, an indication of his naïveté and relative immaturity, at least when compared with his beautiful but ancient heroine. The other strongest character was Simon, an all powerful male witch who embodied both the mystery and strength contained in his name.

My latest novel features Eric, a strong monosyllabic name (definition: one strong who rules) suited for my strong, Special Forces veteran hero and Ashley-Jean (definition: one who sees, which we discover she is), a brilliant, technology savant; a frightened young woman seeking refuge from the evil that pursues her. As a young, southern woman the name seemed to fit perfectly and my test readers agreed.

Which brings up another point: the name must not only lend a visual to the character’s image in the readers mind but must symbolize their place in the story.

In a few hundred words it’s difficult to give a thorough explanation of how and why we authors chose certain methods and different strategies to breathe life into our characters not only with their thoughts and deeds but by what we call them.

I welcome input from readers and fellow authors alike why and how you choose to name your characters. Until next time…

Kevin Symmons

Follow me at www.ksymmons.com. Kevin Symmons—Author on FB, @kevinsymmons on Twitter and at my Amazon and goodreads author pages.

Interview with Nathan Crosby - hero of Buried Secrets

Interview with Nathan Crosby,

Hero of Buried Secrets by A. Y. Stratton

  

Q First of all I must say I was shocked that you, an attorney, would enter a home without the owner’s consent. Is that routine for you?

A No. I’d never done anything like that before.  

Q So what drove you to do it?

A (Nathan shakes his head and sighs.) Schmidt had abused the justice system for a long time. I’d been working for various clients for five years, hoping to catch him in the act of bribing convicted men to confess to crimes they didn’t commit. I failed again and again, so I changed my strategy. I decided to search his home for evidence.  

Q Why would Schmidt bribe them to lie like that?

A Schmidt specialized in defending men accused of rape, perverts from wealthy families. Here’s how he worked: he’d persuade an already convicted man to confess to the rape. In return for his confession, the convict’s family would receive a large sum from the actual perpetrator. Schmidt was really good at making sure all the stories sounded valid. After I failed to get any evidence against him, I changed strategies.  

Q Wait a minute. You’re saying Schmidt convinced men who were going to be locked up for a long time to lie about crimes they didn’t commit?

A Schmidt’s clients had wealthy parents, people who would do anything to keep their sons from going to prison. And the convict’s family never asks any questions.

Q I can see that disturbs you.

A Doesn’t that disturb you? Do you understand why I wanted to get the guy?

Q Yes, of course it’s a noble cause, making sure the guilty man goes to prison. But what drove you to take up that cause, when your risky methods could land you in jail too?

A That’s personal.

Q I’m guessing someone you know was hurt by Schmidt.

A Let’s change the subject.

Q Okay. New subject. How did you and Kate wind up in the same house that night?

A That’s a good story. (Nathan sits back and laughs out loud.) I’d been hiding in the attic for about an hour, when Schmidt drove out of the driveway. I heard a noise, and when I went to check, we ran into each other right there in Schmidt’s hall. Kate ruined my timing. If she’d stayed home that night, I’d have been gone long before the murder.

Q What would have happened to Kate, if she’d shown up and you hadn’t been there?

A I don’t even want to think about what might have happened to her without me.

Q So you two fell in love that night?

A No. In fact we were more like enemies. I just happened to witness the way her ex treated her and did what I had to do.

Q You defended her and then took her to your condo.

A I had to keep track of her.

Q Why?

A To be sure she wouldn’t tell the authorities what we saw and heard that night. People fall apart after witnessing something like that. If either of us told anyone, we could both go to jail. Or get obliterated by Schmidt’s goons.

Q And when did you fall in love?

A (He sighs.) You could say I fell in love with her the first time I met her… in eighth grade. She teased me unmercifully. (He grins.) And still does.  

Q One more question, please. Why were you there that night, risking jail and your reputation?

A You’ll just have to read the book. Nice meeting you. 

BURIED SECRETS by A. Y. Stratton
Witnesses to murder, bound to secrecy,
denying their desire.
www.aystratton.com
EXCLUSIVE KINDLE RELEASE DATE, September 25, 2013
AVAILABLE FREE Nov. 12-16, 2013
WORLDWIDE RELEASE DATE, January 17, 2014
from
www.thewildrosepress.com
www.amazon.com

BURIED HEART by A.Y. Stratton
A perilous quest. An ancient Mayan codex.
Jealousy and desire.
www.aystratton.com
WisRWA 2010 WRITE TOUCH AWARDwww.thewildrosepress.com
www.amazon.com