Thursday, November 17, 2016

THANKFUL THOUGHTS FOR THANKSGIVING

Talking Turkey...

                          Thankful Thoughts for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. It’s a special day when we don’t have to go into a meltdown mode chasing down the perfect gifts for everyone on our Christmas list. The real gift is simply being able to gather family and friends together to eat, talk, share stories, and enjoy all those tempting dishes—like to-die-for corn bread stuffing, Aunt Jane’s pecan and pumpkin pies with mounds of whipped cream, and the ever-famous turkey baked to a golden brown in the oven or a deep fryer. It’s also a time when I think about why I’m thankful as a writer. Here are my top five:

  • I’m thankful to be able to be born in a country where I am able to create and write freely without fears of censorship or retribution. I’m thankful for all our service people—the military, rescue squads, firemen, police and many, many more whose occupations are to protect our freedoms and who are dedicated to keeping us safe. We are, indeed, land of the free because of the brave.

  • I’m thankful for all the fans who purchase our novels and those who make each day just a bit brighter by dropping an email or note in praise of our work. It gives me and other authors a reason to push forward and pursue our dreams.

  • I’m thankful for my spouse, my children, neighbors, friends, family, fellow writers, beta readers, and reviewers who act as sounding boards and who understand the writer’s craziness and the driving need to escape to a favorite spot and put ideas on a blank white screen.

  • I'm thankful for the editors, publishers, artists, and marketing, production and support personnel who take our lumpy clay-like creation of words and help us sculpt those words into a smooth, finished work of art called a novel.

  • I am thankful for all the sights, sounds, smells and tastes around us—like bright sunny days, scarlet sunsets, serene snowfalls, gentle rain, the smell of pine-tinged air, the warble of a song sparrow, the chirping of a cricket, the taste of summer’s first strawberries—and all the wondrous gifts our Heavenly Creator gives us each day to help us to be inspired.  

                      Happy Thanksgiving from my home to yours!     
                     
 EXCERPT: 
                                Key to Love

 The first thought crossing Lucas’s mind was that a blue tornado had swooped down without warning.
Elise Springer barreled through the office door, crossed the distance between them and slammed her fist on the metal desk so hard two pencils did simultaneous jumping jacks before hitting the concrete at her feet.
“You liar!” she shouted. Vicious claws, still splendidly colored a brilliant red, reached out, clutching the front of his shirt and jerking him by the throat.
“Having a bad morning?” Lucas asked quietly, thankful he never made it a habit to fasten the top button. “Maybe I should make a pot of coffee?”
“You set me up, you detestable jerk!” Her hand still held fast even when his came up to cover it. “You never told me about the seventy-five thousand dollars Mike gave you.”
He pried her fingers loose, and she stepped back, slicing the air with the edge of her palm. “I trusted you, you lowly worm. I went in there on your behalf!” Both hands flew to her temples, massaging her forehead. She stomped to the window and back again twice. “God, what a fool I am.”
“It’s not what it appears, Liz.” Lucas sat down, leaned back in a chair beside the desk, and hoped Fritz had not lied and this was just one of her twenty-four hour bouts of raving insanity. “Maybe you ought to sit down, and I’ll explain.”
“You can start spouting an explanation right now, pal, and I don’t need to sit to hear your gibberish!”
If her eyes could throw darts, he’d be dead man for sure, Lucas decided. He mustered some courage. “If I had told you Mike gave me money from his personal funds to invest for him, you would have gone into the meeting with Pedmo and tried to second guess her, just to defend me. I couldn’t take the chance. You got the kid, right?”

 
BUY LINKS:
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Tuesday, November 1, 2016

LEAVES OF GRASS ~ "I Celebrate Myself, Line 238"


"The wild gander leads his flock through the cool night,
Ya-honk! he says, and sounds it down to me like an invitation:
The pert may suppose it meaningless, but I listen closer,
I find its purpose and place up there toward the November sky."
           ~~ Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855, I Celebrate Myself, Line 238

November is the time to snuggle down and enjoy the many smells of the season from the cinnamon and sugar in an apple pie baking in the oven to luscious, rich scent of a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Squash of all varieties are picked and becomes a staple fall accompaniment to a pork or beef roast. Root vegetables--carrots, turnips, beets, and potatoes--are stored for winter use as well. These are our comfort foods. And they remind us as the temperatures fall that winter is around the corner.

Monday, October 24, 2016

Snarkology Halloween Blog Hop


          The History of Jack-O’-Lanterns
 Where did we get the tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns for Halloween? Supposedly, the practice of decorating and carving jack-o’-lanterns comes from the Celts who held a festival of Samhain each year and believed Samhain was a time when supernatural beings and souls of the dead roamed the earth. The custom arrived in America with Irish immigrants where it became an integral part of Halloween festivities.

According to Irish folktale, a miserable man and drunk named Stingy Jack enjoyed playing tricks on people, including the devil. Unable to enter heaven or hell after his death, he was destined to roam the earth listlessly. Jack placed a piece of coal into a carved-out, large turnip and used it as a lantern to keep the evil spirits away. Today in America, pumpkins are carved into jack-o-lanterns, lit, and placed outside of doorways for the same purpose.
                            


Find Judy Ann Davis at:
                         
Take a Peek at UNDER STARRY SKIES

Hired as the town’s school teacher, Maria O’Donnell and her sister Abigail arrive in the Colorado Territory in 1875, only to find the uncle they were to stay with has been murdered.
Rancher Tye Ashmore is content with life until he meets quiet and beautiful Maria. He falls in love at first sight, but her reluctance to jeopardize her teaching position by accepting his marriage proposal only makes him more determined to make her part of his life.
When their lives are threatened by gunshots and a gunnysack of dangerous wildlife, Tye believes he is the target of an unknown enemy. Not until Maria receives written threats urging her to leave does she realize she might be the target instead of the handsome rancher.
With the help of Tye, Abigail, and a wily Indian called Two Bears, Maria works to uncover her uncle’s killer and put aside her fears. But will she discover happiness and true love under Colorado’s starry skies?    Link: UNDER STARRY SKIES

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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

FALL CHORES: Learning Patience

With fall officially here, I start to think of all the projects I have to accomplish before the winter snows fly in Pennsylvania. I'm reminded of a phrase: “If you don’t have the time to do it right, when will you get the time to do it over?”
 
Everyone loves to finish his or her projects. Completing them gives you a feeling of self-confidence and personal joy. But sometimes I find myself rushing through chores, not enjoying the moment, but always thinking of the next thing that needs to be done after I’m finished with the work at hand.

I’ve learned my need to find closure with one chore, if done quickly, can sometimes lead to carelessness and can sometimes add more complications and time while I fix what I’ve done in haste. 

My mother called it “patience.” And boy, oh boy, did she have patience with every task she accomplished. She was a perfectionist, but she never grew tired of performing at only her best. 

This fall I’m going to try to be more patient even if I don’t accomplish my long list of “things to do.” 

What fall tasks are on your list for October?  Whatever they are, I’m wishing you lots of patience to get them done!