Tag Archives: Christmas

Wanna see what my desk looks like? [If you dare]

Posted on December 10, 2012 | 7 comments

Kelly Said  and I are swapping blogs today as part of the Make Believe blog tour.  She had the greatest idea for my post!!!!  She wanted to know what my desk looked like.

So…. out comes the camera, and **CLICK** there it is in all its disastrous glory!  Click on over to Kelly Said’s website for a gander into the insanity of my writing life.

ChristmasFiligree

Now, for Kellie’s post here… I asked her what she thought when she saw the picture prompt for Make Believe.  Honestly, I was surprised.

Take it away, Kelly!

When I first saw the picture prompt for J.Taylor Publishing’s call for submissions for their MAKE BELIEVE anthology, I was curious why that girl was standing in the middle of a snowy field. See, when I looked closer, I noticed there were no snowflakes clinging to her red hooded cape. Her arms were bare, like, she wasn’t expecting the abrupt weather change, and she was carrying a basket – what’s in it? There were no footprints in the snow, so how did she get there? She seemed in tune with nature somehow by the way she was moving through the field, like, maybe there was something magical or mythical about her.

I started thinking about the reasons why she traveled, alone, towards what I imagined was a castle in the background surrounded by spindly, dead-looking trees. I concluded that someone in that castle on high needed help and had the ability to send a summons to call her forth. So how did he do that, call to someone who had no telephone or physical address? And what did he need help for?

When I finished studying the cover for MAKE BELIEVE, so many questions popped up, and the more of them I answered, the more the story began to unfold, until I found a King in distress, a healer with a broken heart, a Prince uncovering a mystery and a girl searching for her place in the world. I had a lot of fun writing this short story, I hope readers enjoy it. 🙂

Thanks so much, Kelly Said!

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Make BelieveFor The Love Of Christmas CoverWhy all the hullabaloo? Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles! Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too. So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

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Hop on over and send me some love!

Click on over to Kelly Said’s website

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Visit my Anthology buddies!  They are celebrating too!

Jenny Keller Ford

J.A. Belfield

Kelly Said

Lynda R. Young

Terri Rochenski

Janelle Lee

Dani-Lyn Alexander

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What gives you the greatest pleasure in writing?

Posted on December 7, 2012 | 3 comments

Today I took on a lot of great questions, but I think my favorite is “What gives you the greatest pleasure in writing?” I had to give a concise answer, but I think I’m going to come back to this in greater detail someday.

To see my answer, hop on over to Jenny Keller Ford‘s site.

How about you? What gives you the greatest pleasure in writing?

Thanks so much, Jenny Keller Ford for hosting me today!

ChristmasFiligree

Make BelieveFor The Love Of Christmas CoverWhy all the hullabaloo? Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles! Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too. So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Hop on over and send me some love!

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Visit my Anthology buddies!  They are celebrating too!

Jenny Keller Ford

J.A. Belfield

Kelly Said

Lynda R. Young

Terri Rochenski

JenniFer_EatonF

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Okay, I know it’s gross, but it’s just what we do at Christmas! And we’ve got givaways today!

Posted on December 6, 2012 | 35 comments

Guess What?  Tonight at 6:30 PM Eastern Time I’ll be signing copies of “Tall Tales and Short Stories From South Jersey” at Audubon Library, 239 Oakland Avenue, Audubon, NJ. Stop on by if you are in the area!

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Wow!  Today I’m just full of surprises! I’m actually posting here today, with some great memories of my own family Christmases growing up…. as well as other wonderful places you can visit! — And a book signing!

Yes, I’ve taken up my marketing manager’s offer to clone me! (Mgr for Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey)   The process was a little scary, but yes! For the next twenty-four hours there are two of me!

(Yes, some of you can run.  I’d be scared, too.)

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First of all,  Kaiden’s Seduction is reviewing “Make Believe” today.  I hope they liked it!  (Let me know in the comments below.  I’m still afraid to read reviews without someone filtering them for me)

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Also… you can find me at two great places on-line today!  If you want to learn about training your dog to do amazing feats of bravery, check out my guest post about me and my pepped up poodle, Chloe on Brinda Berry’s blog.

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And… Tis the season for holiday fun!  This is part of the Still Moments Publishing Christmas Blog hop!

https://i0.wp.com/3.bp.blogspot.com/-yPIjlUkkOBQ/ULendHhtymI/AAAAAAAAEqk/W6SX-ChNsy8/s320/ChristmasBlogHop.jpgWe’ve got great giveaways!  By commenting below, you are automatically entered to win some great jewelry pieces. (Hello… awesome present ideas!)

Hop on over to the Still Moments Publishing website for a list of contributing blogs for more chances to win!

Oh!  Don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win my Christmas Anthology “For the Love of Christmas”

Whew!  That’s a lot of promo-stuff… And I gotta post too!  Oh!  The pressure!

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Sooooo… Christmas. I have so many Christmas Memories, and I treasure all of them fondly. One of my favorites is making a gingerbread house.

This was a Dad activity.  I’m not sure why Mom didn’t get involved, but my dad was TOTALLY into it.

One year, we decided to make REAL gingerbread.  It didn’t work out too well.  We baked it in the oven and everything… but the walls cracked.  Our house was not buildable… so Dad glued it together with epoxy.  (So funny)

This tradition actually carried on. (I’m not sure which came first) But Dad would always “build” the house for us out of graham crackers.  Yep… just pop them out of a box.  And yes, he glued it together with epoxy (which is like crazy glue).  We all KNEW not to eat the house part.

Then, of course, came the frosting glue, and more candy than any house could possibly hold.  Our tradition was to try and make the house more hideous than it was the year before… but it still had to look like a house.

Yeah… that’s where I got my strange sense of humor from.  People would look at our “masterpiece” and pretend it was beautiful.  It wasn’t.  That’s the point.

Today, when I build our gingerbread house with my kids, I don’t mind when the snowman falls over, or when Kid #2 leaves a trail of candy “poop” behind the reindeer.  It’s all good fun.

Oh, yeah, and that big gob of brown icing?  It’s a dirt pile.  Me and my boys will swear to it.  (With incredibly large smiles on our faces) — Don’t tell their daddy what it really is.

What odd but incredibly fun Christmas memory do you have?

ChristmasFiligree

Make BelieveFor The Love Of Christmas CoverWhy all the hullabaloo?  Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles!  Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too.  So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Hop on over and send me some love!

Brinda Berry’s blog – Writing a novel is like training your dog.

 Still Moments Publishing – Christmas Blog Hop

 Kaiden’s Seduction  Review of Make Believe!

JenniFer_EatonF

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How’d I get in trouble when I was a kid? Do ya like bugs?

Posted on December 5, 2012 | 3 comments

We’re just burning up the pavement… err… internet on this blog tour!  Today I’m hanging with Terri Rochenski at Scribbler’s Sojourn with a big interview about bugs, exercise, auto-biographies, and bad habits.

ChristmasFiligree

For The Love Of Christmas CoverMake BelieveWhy?  Well, it’s to promote my two new releases “Make Believe” and “For the Love of Christmas”

That’s why!

And don’t forget to click on “Enter to Win” for a chance to win your choice of the two titles!  Yay!

Oh, I almost forgot… A few random commentors along the tour path will win their choice of anthologies, too.  So be sure to hop on over and say “Hi”

ChristmasFiligree

Click on over to find out more than anyone should know about me

***smacks herself in the head***

Why did I answer that one about my nails?

Teleport me to Scribbler’s Sojourn

JenniFer_EatonF

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What’s in your earphones? It’s Release Day! “For the Love of Christmas”

Posted on December 4, 2012 | 24 comments

“Write a Story with me” will be back December 25th  Cause now….

Let me tell you… when I made a bold statement last New Years that I would be published this year.. I NEVER IMAGINED I would have back-to-back release dates in December!

Total Awesomeness!

So, What’s in your earphones? What inspires you, and where do your musical tastes come from?

Stop on over to Nicky Well’s website and let’s chat about it. I’m guest blogging over there and ready to have a little fun!

This is stop #1 of the “For the Love of Christmas” blog tour.

Come on!  Let’s go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click me to space warp to the musical side!

Nicky’s Website

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I’m on a roll! More Exciting News

Posted on November 2, 2012 | 45 comments

I am super excited to announce that I have signed a contract with Still Moments publishing for my single short “A Test of Faith”.

This is a really big step for me, because this will be my first publication outside of an anthology.  Yep, that’s right… only my name on that cover.

Yeah, okay, maybe that sounds vain — but tough cookies!

“A Test of Faith” is part two of the Jack and Jill story that begins with “Connect the Dots”, which will be published by Still Moments in their “For the Love of Christmas” Anthology that will be released December 4th.

“Connect the Dots” takes place during the stress-filled week before Christmas, and closes on Christmas morning.

“A Test of Faith” picks up a few hours later, and follows our characters through a very bumpy week leading to New Year’s Eve.

Yeah, it looks like this is going to be a holiday thing.  I have an idea for Valentine’s day, but I decided to shelve it temporarily because another project is tapping on my head and screaming “write me first!”

So Yay! Three contracts for me this year!  Two publications in December, and this new one is tentatively scheduled for January 2013.

For the first time in maybe EVER I can honestly say that I have lived up to my New Year’s resolution.  I hope some of you guys have done as well!

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Flash Finish Contest for a FREE COPY of “For the Love of Christmas”– Part of the Still Moments Halloween Blog Hop

Posted on October 22, 2012 | 20 comments

This post is just supposed to be a spooky story, but I decided to bend the rules a bit and have fun.  Yes, this is a giveaway.

One random participant will receive a free copy of Still Moments Publishing’s “For the Love of Christmas”, so you can cuddle up with my Holiday Tale “Connect the Dots” as soon as it is available.* Yay!  It’s so cool to be giving away something I wrote!  Wahooo!

Oh Yeah!  By entering here, you will automatically be entered into Still Moments’s main prize drawing, where you can win one of the prizes listed here:  Click me to see the pretty jewelry PLUS books too!!

Okay.  Rules.  Don’t worry, I’ll make it easy.

Click here to follow me on Goodreads (Extra brownie points if you add my book to your “to read” list

Follow this blog (Easy.  Just press the follow button on the right)

Click here to make friends on Facebook.

Okay.  Now the fun part.  I’m going to start a short Halloween story.  All you need to do is finish the story in as few as one line, or as many as 100 words.  (I won’t count your words 🙂 )

NOTE:  YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT TO BE ENTERED INTO THE GRAND PRIZE DRAWINGS

Winners will be chosen at random from everyone who’s followed the rules.  (Which means this isn’t rocket science.  We are out to have fun here, by golly!)

Oh Yeah!  By entering, you will automatically be added to Still Moments list of participants, where you can win one of the prizes listed here.

Okay… The spooky story all ready for you to finish… Here we go!

The hinges creak as I push the door open with trembling fingertips.  The light from my candle casts an eerie glow throughout the chamber.  I set the taper down, and search the room.  Where had that sound come from?

A dull thud from behind chills the very blood in my veins, cooling my heart and transfixing me. No one else should have access to this hall.

The glow of the candle flickers over the poker leaning against the fireplace, the only weapon close enough for me to …

A footstep sounds behind be, and cold fingers wrap around my arm.

***

There you go!  What happens?  It could be one sentence, or a few.  I can’t wait to see what you come up with.  Have fun!

The contest will close October 26th and I will announce a winner soon after.

Note:  Still Moments will draw their Grand Prizes from all participants across the entire blog hop.  Please feel free to visit the other participating blogs to increase your chances.  Grand Prize drawings will take place on October 26th. Email Addresses are required for the Grand Prize drawings.  Entries without email addresses will be discarded.

Want extra chance to win?  Hop along the Blog Hop trail below, and good Luck! (I want that stinking necklace… so cool!)

Participating SMP Authors:

October 22, 2012
Terri Rochenski – http://www.terrirochenski.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Eaton – http://www.jennifermeaton.com/
Ceri Hebert – http://cerihebert.wordpress.com/

October 23, 2012

Liv Rancourt – http://www.livrancourt.com/
Denise Moncrief – http://denisemoncrief.blogspot.com/
Dani-Lyn Alexander – http://www.danilynalexander.com/blog.html

October 24,
2012
Mackenzie Crowne – http://mackenziecrowne.com/
Maggie Devine – http://maggiedevine.blogspot.com/
Liberty Blake – http://libertysspells.blogspot.com/

October 25, 2012

Darlene Henderson – http://dandwh.wordpress.com/
Em Epe – http://www.emeperomances.blogspot.com/
Clara Waibel – http://www.pomadness.blogspot.com/

*Note:  “For the Love of Christmas” Will not ba available until December, BUT I’M GOOD FOR IT! — PROMISE!

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Six Sentence Sunday – From my Work in Progress

Posted on October 21, 2012 | 16 comments

Yep… Gonna give ya a sneak peek at my latest little swarray (is that how you spell that?) into the world of Romance.  I’m still writing the Explosion novel Fire In the Woods, but so I don’t get stagnant, I’m mixing things up with some shorts for those days when I just need a break from it.

This is from my current WIP “A Test of Faith”.  It starts out with a line stated by our hero, Jack. He is driving, and Jill is in the passenger seat with her daughter Nicole in the rear.

“If I didn’t get drunk last night, I wouldn’t have woken up under your Christmas tree … I wouldn’t have had the guts to finally tell you how I feel.”

Nicole leaned up between our seats. “You woke up under our tree because God put you there, Uncle Jack. You were Mom’s Christmas present.”

His hand slipped back to my knee. “I’m not sure that I was her present. I think she was mine.”

Hmmm.  Okay so that was more than six sentences.  Sorry Counting Gods!  I’m a writer, not a mathematician!

So, Whattya think?

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Road to Publication #20: Setting up the Blog Tours

Posted on October 15, 2012 | 26 comments

OMIGOSH, my head is spinning.  Seriously, it is.

I started a few weeks ago, setting up my own dates for the blog tour for the “Make Believe” Anthology.  Then, after the Arcs went out, all of the sudden requests started coming in from people who contacted J.Taylor Publishing asking for interviews.

I’m really glad that I took someone’s advice and found the calendar feature in my email program.  I started making appointments for the different days in December… but December is filling up pretty quickly.

I also have to wiggle in a blog tour for Connect the Dots, coming out from Still Moments Publishing in their “For the Love of Christmas” Anthology the day after the “Make Believe” Anthology releases.

It looks like I’m going to have to double book dates – talking about Connect the Dots on one Web Site, and Last Winter Red on another.

Now, I’m starting to pull my hair out because I have a list of people who I “Cyber know” who I wanted to ask to host the blog tour, and all these dates are filling up fast.

I know, I know, just smack me.  These are good problems.

I am starting to feel what I’ve heard other authors talk about in the past…  Marketing is a full time job, and detracts from your writing.

I had all these lofty goals for when I would finish and submit Fire in the Woods, but they are falling by the wayside.

It’s true what you hear… this really is hard work.

What do you think… Do you hear about books on blogs?  Have you / would you buy a book after hearing about it on a blog?  What would make you interested in buying an anthology?

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Road to Publication #15: My Goodreads page

Posted on September 3, 2012 | 28 comments

Yay!  Another “Me” page.  This is starting to sound a little self-centered, but geeze it’s exciting to see yourself “out there” other than on your own web-site, where you are in complete control.

I’m not going to get into all that “tingly” stuff again.  But yes, this is incredibly cool.

Here’s the link to my Goodreads Author page.

Yep, that’s me with my own Goodreads author-page.  There’s a link right there to “Make Believe”.  The Christmas Anthology will be featrued here as soon as Still Moments Publishing releases to cover.  Anything else I am lucky to get published will also get listed under my picture and profile.

So cool.  Really.

Oh — Shameless self promotion — while you are there you can slip “Make Believe” into your “To read” list — if ya wanna 🙂

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