Book Trailer ~ One Love For Liv by Marianne Arkins

One Love For Liv by Marianne Arkins

Liv is out to prove her high society fiancé is cheating on her. Can she do it without breaking a nail—or falling in love with Mike the mechanic?

Olivia “Liv” Leigh, wealthy socialite and spa owner, suspects her fiancé of cheating on her. Drastic steps are required to discover whether appearances are deceiving. And if those steps require a bit of stalking, a change of appearance, a hippo-sized dog named Spike, and sacrificing her manicure to clean house for a sexy-but-sloppy man whose neighbor is determined to break several of the strangest Guinness world records, why should that be a problem?

Mike, a happily single auto mechanic, is more than content sharing his bachelor pad with piles of laundry, dirty dishes, and a sneaky ferret. But when a half-crazed woman in a bad wig shows up on his doorstep, what’s a nice guy to do?

Why, invite her in, unknowingly help her in her search for the truth and, in the process, fall head over heels for a woman who’s never been less his type.

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Merry Christmas!

Today is Christmas, and while I know that most of you are probably doing family stuff and won't see this, I still wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate whether it be Yule, Kwanzaa or something else. Since there will no longer be any more Thursday Thirteen, I decided that I would show y'all one of my favorite Christmas carols sung by one of my favorite musical groups.

Here's hoping y'all have a safe and wonderful holiday, and we'll see you again, real soon.

Happy Christmas Eve!

I'm busy, busy, busy... cleaning and cooking and writing and "family-ing", so I thought I'd just post a couple of things that are traditions with our family this time of year.

A tree -- covered mainly with homemade or gifted ornaments:



Stockings hung by the chimney with care (including ones for our pets AND for two of my DD's stuffed animals -- and yes, Santa brings gifts for them, too):



Watching my two all-time favorite Christmas movies:

It's a Wonderful Life:



Miracle on 34th Street (the original, of course):



And of course, presents!



What are some of your holiday traditions?

TMI Tuesday!

Okay, I am so darned tired today. After a treadmill test that didn't really go all that well (when your Dr. says, "Well, that's not good!" you know something's wrong) and finally getting my tree decorated (it's been up for two days, but I have to do everything in stages lately, otherwise I run out of steam real quick and things never get done), I am just so tired with too many things still left to do. So, today y'all get a meme:



It's TMI Tuesday. There are five questions asked that may not have much to do with one another or may... but sometimes you may be giving... Too Much Information! Thus, TMI Tuesday, lol. So here are the questions and my answers:

1. What present do you hope ends up under your tree?

Hmm... I would really love to get a new e-book reader. I am currently using my Palm Pilot with a program that converts pdfs into format I can read on it, but the screen is so small I only get a couple of paragraphs at a time... and it would be really nice to get a better reader. Now, that being said, I don't expect one and my hubby pays attention to all of my "Oh, that's neat/pretty/cool" comments and remembers them for birthdays/Christmas/anniversary gifts. So, I know that no matter what I get, I'll love it.

2. What present are you most psyched about giving (PLEASE be vague or ignore this question if the recipient reads your blog)?

I am so psyched to see the look on my oldest son's face when he sees that he IS getting his own computer for his bedroom (refurbished, but HIS). He thinks that there's only going to be the one computer he has to share with his brothers (we've had it for some time, just not hooked up).

3. DO you prefer to give or receive?

*snort* This could be taken so badly... and knowing me you know I took it that way. Hee hee... it depends on my mood. *snicker* Ahem, as far as Christmas and gifts I love to give, I always over-buy for everyone, and even buy/make gifts for everyone when we only draw certain names for gifts.

4. What is your favorite part off a sexual partner's body?

Well... I am REALLY hoping the author meant OF, cuz I don't really want any part OFF my hubby's body. So, in that vein... I love my hubby's lips. They're just perfect in my opinion and he knows what to do with them. Yup, TMI, but that's the point. :-D

5. What is your favorite part of your body - the one you hope a sexual partner will find or pay the most attention to?

That crease where thigh meets... hip. It's so sensitive and it makes the stomach clench and the breath catch. *sigh* Just a really yummy part of the body that can be ignored... but not in my house!

So, that's my TMI Tuesday. Was it TMI? What are YOUR answers to these questions? Or, pick one and tell me your answer. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Holiday. Merry Christmas, or whatever you celebrate, and a Happy New Year.

Friday With Jenny

Want to know all about someone? Well, I found a site that will let you do just that :-) And, I'm going to let you know all about the Menagerie (things you always wanted to know, I'm sure).

JennyKat Shepherd:

1. 25% of the letters are vowels. Of one million first and last names we looked at, 92.6% have a higher vowel make-up. This means you are poorly envoweled.

2. Backwards, it is Takynnej Drehpehs... nice ring to it, huh? (shall I use it for a character one day?)

3. Your personal power animal is the Naked Mole-rat

4. Your 'Numerology' number is 3. If it wasn't bulls**t, it would mean that you are enthusiastic, creative, optimistic, and fun-loving. You seek self-expression through words or the arts, and enjoy learning through life experiences.

5. According to the US Census Bureau°, fewer than 0.001% of US residents have the first name 'Jennykat' and 0.0239% have the surname 'Shepherd'. The US has around 300 million residents, so we guesstimate there is only 1 American who goes by the name Jennykat Shepherd. (I always knew I was unique!)

Mysti Holiday

1. 33% of the letters are vowels. Of one million first and last names we looked at, 60.6% have a higher vowel make-up. This means you are averagely envoweled.

2. Backwards, it is Itsym Yadiloh... nice ring to it, huh?

3. Your personal power animal is the Hawaiian Monk Seal

4. Your 'Numerology' number is 7. If it wasn't bulls**t, it would mean that you are spiritual, eccentric, and a bit of a loner. Introspective and analytical, you think deeply and prefer seclusion.

5. According to the US Census Bureau°, fewer than 0.001% of US residents have the first name 'Mysti' and 0.0027% have the surname 'Holiday'. The US has around 300 million residents, so we guesstimate there is only 1 American who goes by the name Mysti Holiday.

Kealie Shay

1. 50% of the letters are vowels. Of one million first and last names we looked at, 2.2% have a higher vowel make-up. This means you are extremely well envoweled.

2. Backwards, it is Eilaek Yahs... nice ring to it, huh?

3. Your personal power animal is the Tae-kwon Dodo

4. Your 'Numerology' number is 6. If it wasn't bulls**t, it would mean that you are responsible, careful, and compassionate. A giver, you are there to support and care for the most vulnerable.

5. According to the US Census Bureau°, fewer than 0.001% of US residents have the first name 'Kealie' and 0.0038% have the surname 'Shay'. The US has around 300 million residents, so we guesstimate there is only 1 American who goes by the name Kealie Shay.

So.... we are all unique (and we're not surprised!); in our group there is a "envoweled" person for everyone.. so whether you are into
"poorly envoweled" (like me), or "extremely well envoweled" (like Kealie), or somewhere in the middle (like Mysti)...we've got the girl for you!

And...the scary thing is....we're using pseudonyms, but the readings on the numerology number? They are scarily accurate!

If you want to find out about yourself (or another person), check out Is This Your Name?

Thursday Thirteen: Christmas Cookies

I have baking for Christmas on the brain, so thought I'd share some recipes from my fave all time recipe site, www.allrecipes.com -- just click on the photo to get the recipe if you're interested!

13. Delicious Christmas Cookies



12. Christmas Molasses Cookies



11. Christmas Ornament Cookies



10. Christmas Cornflake Wreath Cookies



9. Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookie Logs



8. Holly Berry Cookies



7. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies



6. Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars



5. Festive Shortbread



4. Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies



3. Holiday Biscotti



2. Gingerbread Cookies I



1. Turtle Bars

Dear Santa...

What I'd really like for Christmas is a little more time. Do you suppose you can slip one of those nifty watches like Hermione had in Harry Potter into my stocking?

If I had three of myself (or three times the hours in the day), I might be able to manage being a wife, mother, housekeeper, author, student, accountant, dog trainer and more into one day.

Now? With only one of me, and a meager 24-lousy-hours a day?

Have you seen the dust on my mantle? The husband who barely knows my name? My DD, tugging on my arm, begging for me to play a board game? My heroine, currently tied to the bed and being ravaged by the hero (actually, she may be okay with that, and doesn't mind waiting until I get back to her, lol)? My dog, who regularly wreaks havoc in and out of the house?

So, Santa, I don't need anything extravagant. Keep the diamond earrings and the Caribbean cruise. Just send me a few more hours. Please? I've been (mostly) good.

Sincerely,

Mysti

Lifus Interruptus

*sigh* I suck... I'm sorry everyone! I forgot completely about Saturday Hottie. Actually, I started one and was so tired I told myself I'd finish it Saturday morning... instead life interrupted and I never made it back onto the computer Saturday. I have been making files and getting them organized to have posts ready to go ahead of time, but it hasn't come to complete fruition yet. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to have stuff all organized.

So, aside from a nagging case of Lifus Interruptus, things have been pretty fun in our house. I love Christmas, and with four children I am constantly given an opportunity to see the world in a whole new way.

We had a fun activity that we participated in this weekend: Breakfast With Santa! Technically, we didn't get to eat directly with Santa, but we had a nice breakfast as a family and then got to visit with Santa (there were a lot of kids, I think Santa would have been trampled if he hadn't sat on his... throne and had some order to the whole thing). My kids loved it... except the baby. His reaction was the most dramatic we've ever had to date. At first he was fine with this person taking him and holding him (he's a pretty easygoing kid), but once he did a double-take and saw it was some strange man with lots of white hair on his face... he got a bit frantic and started to scream and squirm to get away. The entire time I was trying to take the pictures with my hubby insisting quite loudly that I hurry cuz the baby was freaking out... and my camera wouldn't take the picture. Poor Santa valiantly tried to keep the baby from nose-diving off his lap until I could get the picture. He succeeded, but not a moment too soon by the way, my camera worked and my hubby snatched the baby from Santa who looked a little strained.

Needless to say, it was interesting and fun. It wasn't until we got home and loaded the picture that I realized that I had actually captured the baby's double-take at Santa. The look on his face is priceless!

Well, here's to holiday memories no matter what your traditions, and I hope Lifus Interruptus doesn't take permanent hold on my life, lol.

Book Trailer ~ The Christmas Curse by Marianne Arkins

The Christmas Curse by Marianne Arkins

For Molly Scott, everything bad in her life has happened during the Christmas season, from training bras in her stocking to being jilted by her fiancé. This year is no exception.

Ten days before Christmas, she arrives at work to find her department closed down and everyone laid off. Desperate, she takes a job for a singing telegram service and, dressed as Mrs. Claus, meets the man of her dreams--who turns out to be a nightmare--in a broken-down elevator. The Christmas Curse is right on track.

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Friday With Jenny

I am so not ready for Christmas. I looked at the calendar yesterday and it hit me right between the eyes: TWO WEEKS! And now, it's LESS than two weeks before Christmas and I have bought ONE present. One! And all the kids are going to be home this year so I have a lot of stuff to do yet to get ready.

How is everyone out there doing on their holiday shopping, baking, decorating? Please, tell me I'm not the only one who's been so busy that this Christmas has snuck up on (I did that on purpose.. Mysti HATES snuck... it's a regional thing.. lol).

Anyway... for our Today in History....

French novelist Gustave Flaubert, author of Madame Bovary, is born on this day in 1821 in Rouen, France.

and

28 years ago today.... Armand Hammer paid more than $5M for one of Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks. Ya reckon one day OUR notebooks will sale for anything??? :-)

Have a great weekend.

Merry Christmas, Everyone

I won't be back before Christmas (where HAS the time gone??) so I wanted to share with you thirteen movies I like to watch every Christmas:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone, and I'll see y'all in 2009 :-)

The Best Of Intentions

I have learned this week that even with the best of intentions things don't always go the way we want them to. I had planned on doing the "I Love Your Blog Awards" today, but I had to push it back yet another week. Sorry!

This week has been a study in frustration. All things considered it could be going much worse than it is, and that's what keeps me from sticking my head in the oven... that and I have four kids who would just yank me out before I could even get a good dose of dain bramage... wait, maybe not! LOL

I have a doctor's appointment today, and honestly I just can't get my brain to wrap around much else. Considering I'll be going against my natural inclinations to not rock the boat (Why are you laughing, Mysti? Sheesh!) and demand that they do more testing and figure something else out instead of just throwing drugs at it and hoping it all goes away. Because what we are doing currently is doing nothing for me... and a mother of four boys cannot afford to be as exhausted as I have been lately.

GAH, we'll see. So, since I didn't get to the "We Love Your Blog Awards" I had nothing to blog about today... well, except for the above, and I'm sure y'all could care less. LOL

Anyway, anyone have any suggestions on how to actually get some writing done when my muse feels as horrid as I do? She's sitting in my head draped artfully across a fainting couch hand flopped over her eyes, other arm hanging from the side of the couch, "I... just... can't... inspire... right... now... too... tired..." HEY, maybe that's where all my energy has disappeared to! My muse used it all up with her insane sexy/party antics. The witch! Ah, well, hopefully she starts to feel better when I start to feel better. :-D

I'll keep y'all updated (okay, I'll TRY to keep y'all updated) as to what we figure out. I hope your week is shaping up to be interesting and fun. Have a great week!

~Kealie

Book Trailer ~ Celtic Love Knots Vol. 10 by Kiki Howell

Celtic Love Knots Vol. 10 by Kiki Howell

Sexual Magic
A cast circle of sexual magic; an ancestral Books of Shadows; and a sexual magic spell cast in desperation hundreds of years ago leave Caitlyn angry that her destiny may have been tampered with.

Now, she needs to know if she is meant to be with Brent, a man who often doesn’t understand her ways but to whom she is undeniably pulled.

Tailltean Marriage
Ten years ago, at their first Lughnasadh, Allena and Devyn made a pact to go through a Tailltean Marriage, a trial marriage, if they were both still unattached on Lughnasadh the year they turned twenty-eight.

Even though Allena and Devyn have been best friends, sharing everything for years, once their hand-fasting ceremony is over they fear that sex will change their friendship.


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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Thursday Thirteen ~ Things I'm NOT Getting My Kids For Christmas

It's that time of year, and while I love the holidays, I don't love the commercialism of it all. I like getting my kids things they need and even want for Christmas, but I don't like the constant begging for things that I would never buy them anyway. It doesn't help that the commercials on their channels (the only ones they are allowed to watch BTW) are all about these super-duper, priced up the wazoo toys that are most likely poorly made and will break once my boys start really playing with them. So, my list is thirteen things I will NOT buy for my kids for Christmas.

1. A Cell Phone ~ Are you kidding me? My oldest is only 9 years old! I see kids his age with their cell phones out texting back and forth, playing games and downloading things. Heck NO! He does NOT need a cell phone to call his friends, he can use the house phone. He does NOT need a cell phone to listen to music or play games, he has an MP3 player and Gameboy for that. He doesn't need one for the walk home from school... we live right across the street. I'm just as neurotic as most parents these days... but giving a 9 year old a cell phone is just asking for an astronomical cell bill.

2. A PSP (PlayStation Portable) ~ They can barely take care of their much cheaper, much more durable Gameboys (and not the DS kind either). Why in the world would I get them something else they can treat poorly?

3. A puppy ~ Somehow I don't see Harley taking too well to a hyper little puppy invading his space. He has a hard enough time finding a quiet spot away from my rambunctious kids... a puppy would drive my poor baby insane! Not to mention the fact that I would be the one who would have to do all the taking care of a training. I'd rather not when my health is so... off right now. LOL

4. Night-Vision Goggles ~ OH, don't get me wrong... these look cool as all get out! I even considered them until I remembered that I have a hard enough time getting the little darlings to go to sleep as it is. They don't need another excuse to slip out of bed. "Mommy... I can seeeeee yooooouuuuu!"

5. An Actual TRAIN ~ I just don't have the room... or the money! Four boys + All their toys = Enough clutter to last a lifetime! :-D

6. Designer clothes ~ *SNORT* If they can tear holes in the knees of Levis with reinforced knees... Can you imagine how much it would cost me to pay for designer clothing? :::shudder:::

7. Tickle Me Elmo Extreme ~ Cuz it's just plain creepy! Come on, you have to admit... that little Elmo doll that giggles and kicks and rolls around... GAH gives me the willies!

8. A Wii ~ Mainly because I can't afford one. We do well enough with my hubby's job and my dance classes. We don't go hungry, we have a house and some luxuries... but we already have a perfectly good gaming system that still makes games. I don't see the point in upgrading. Yeah, yeah... it's not gonna happen... deal with it.

9. A Laptop ~ HA! Do you know what I had to do for Santa to get MINE? The pervert! *snicker* They don't need one, they can use the desktop PC just fine... and that's that!

10. A New Car ~ Umm... yeah, my oldest is NINE YEARS OLD! I don't even get a new car. Did I mention we probably couldn't afford it anyway? Why put ourselves in debt over something we don't really need? BUT, isn't this one so puurrty?! *sigh*

11. A Furby ~ :::shudder::: Yet another creepy toy! I get chills whenever the darned thing open their little eyes and start talking.... GAH, I just now gave myself the willies!

12. A Set of Golf Clubs ~ Did I mention I have boys? Yeah... I'd be buying new windows too. No thanks!

13. Heelies ~ A couple years ago my mother bought a pair for my oldest son. I hated them! I think that they teach poor manners. My kids aren't supposed to RUN through a store, and yet I see all these kids popped up on their heels rolling through the stores at top speed with no one telling them to stop. Granted, whenever I caught my son doing it I threatened to remove the wheels and he stopped, but the temptation was ALWAYS there. I won't stop him from wearing them if someone else buys them... but I won't be buying them.

So that is my list, I hope you enjoyed it. Like I said, I DO love this time of year and trying to find the perfect gift for my family and friends is really a blast when I'm not so tired... and sometimes even when I am. Happy TT!

All I Want For Christmas...

Okay folks... I need some suggestions. I have lots of people on my Christmas list, and I'm going to try to get books for one and all. I don't read much outside my fave genres, so how about some help?

What would you recommend for:

Romantic Suspense?
Straight Horror?
Cozy Mystery?
Young Adult?
Middle Grade?
Sweet Romance?
Paranormal?

Anyone? Bueller?

And... what about you? Are you buying books this Christmas? What's on YOUR wishlist?

Lesson Learned

Yesterday, Devon talked about what she had learned in writing her latest release, and I got to thinking about a few things in regards to my latest project. First... Would I ever get it finished and published? If I have anything to say about it I will. :-D Second... What have I learned? That even when I fail I learned and accomplished something.

You may be wondering what I failed at. Well, I didn't even come close to getting 50,000 words on my NaNoWriMo project. It wasn't for lack of ambition or even inspiration. I really wanted to sit down and write, and the characters were chattering non-stop in my head the entire time... in fact they haven't stopped. Maybe because I haven't finished their story yet. LOL But, circumstances have conspired against me and things that were really rather important took precedence.

Anyway, what did I learn? I learned that sometimes, we just can't reach our goals in the time limits we set for ourselves. Not for lack of discipline or lack of desire or anything else like that. Simply by living we can sometimes have to put other things on the back burner. That doesn't mean we give up on those dreams and goals entirely, it simply means that we need to reevaluate how we are going to get those things done. In my case, my health has made me realize that sometimes life throws us a curveball when we expect a fastball. It would have been lovely to sit at the times I set aside and write, but the fatigue about kicked my behind and I'd find I was nodding off at my computer. That in and of itself is a HUGE deal... just ask Mysti and Jenny and anyone else who knows how little I normally sleep.

But, I digress... I learned that it doesn't mean I'm going to give up and just stop. I love writing, I love the characters and the stories and wondering where I'll find myself at the next keystroke. I learned that if I make sure my loved ones understand just how important these things are to me... they will support me in whatever way I need them to (even if it takes a bit of a hissy fit to get my point across). I learned that stressing about it only makes me sicker... and that is bad enough without me adding to it thank you very much. So, I'm not going to stress about it. I'm proud of my friends who met the goal of 50,000 words... more than I can say. I sat and grinned like an idiot when I read that our sweet Helen had hit her goal before Thanksgiving. By the way, "WAY TO GO, HELEN!"

And I've followed along with my other friends as they kept our various groups updated... and that it is an amazing group of people I've found out here in the ether that is the World Wide Web. I'm lucky to have them on my side, and I hope they feel the same way about me. So, congratulations to all of y'all out there who met your goals. I look forward to seeing how things move along for you. Stay tuned and hopefully, we'll see The Menagerie authors flourish and thrive as well. I have faith, and that's a really good start. I hope y'all have a great week, and had a joyous holiday. Until next time.

Guest Blogger ~ Devon Gray

Today, our guest blogger is Devon Gray! Her newest release, Playing for Keeps, just released this last month at The Wild Rose Press-The Wilder Roses. Please join us here at The Menagerie in giving her a warm welcome!



Available Now from The Wild Rose Press- The Wilder Roses: Playing for Keeps by Devon Gray.

Here is a quick blurb:

Pasts are best left behind, hidden deep in your memory—that is where I buried mine. The feel of his hands and mouth on my body, the height of sensuality I reached beneath his touch. I'd fought so hard to forget—how could just the sight of him bring it all back, forcing me to become lost in him?

Again.

Years before I had watched him, craved him—a guitarist in a band riding the wave to stardom—my brother's best friend. On the verge of womanhood, I never dared to reveal how I yearned. Until a cold New Year's Eve when I offered myself as the woman I'd become, bringing to fruition the deepest of wants. As that night turned, so did my life. Devastatingly so.

I never dreamed I'd become another of his one night stands.

Can pasts be exorcised if they come back to haunt you? And when a notorious playboy who broke your heart offers you his…how do you know if he's playing for keeps?

What I learned from writing this book:

1. It is imperative to have a synopsis before you begin to write a book.

2. Recording studios sometimes keep their gold and platinum records in the bathroom.

3. A man would not describe a woman’s eyes as “lake” blue.

4. It is imperative to have a synopsis before you begin to write a book.

5. If you are over thirty and are trying to get a record deal you have a better shot of becoming president.

6. Jimmy Choos should not be italicized in a manuscript.

7. It is imperative to have a synopsis before you begin to write a book.

8. It is difficult to write a love scene from the male point of view…in first person.

9. If you are a teenaged recording artist performing in bars, you have to have your mom or dad with you at all times.

10. It is imperative to have a synopsis before you begin to write a book.

I cannot even remember how many false starts this book had. The problem? I bet you can hazard a guess. I embraced my pantser tendencies and was left with over a year of frustration as a result. I would work the plot one way, only to discover my conflict fell apart. I’d go in a different direction, just to find my characters fell flat. I put it in a drawer and wrote another book, Addicted, which released this past August. It wasn’t until I was asked to participate in an anthology based on Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne” that the story finally came together in a way that made sense. Maybe it was the music connection, who knows. I have to say, though, that I have learned many valuable lessons from this experience. Like it is imperative to have a synopsis before you begin to write a book.

Please visit me at www.authordevongray.com

Book Trailer ~ Playing For Keeps by Devon Gray

Playing For Keeps by Devon Gray

Pasts are best left behind, hidden deep in your memory—that is where I buried mine. The feel of his hands and mouth on my body, the height of sensuality I reached beneath his touch. I'd fought so hard to forget—how could just the sight of him bring it all back, forcing me to become lost in him? Again.

Years before I had watched him, craved him—a guitarist in a band riding the wave to stardom—my brother's best friend. On the verge of womanhood, I never dared to reveal how I yearned. Until a cold New Year's Eve when I offered myself as the woman I'd become, bringing to fruition the deepest of wants. As that night turned, so did my life. Devastatingly so. I never dreamed I'd become another of his one night stands.

Can pasts be exorcised if they come back to haunt you? And when a notorious playboy who broke your heart offers you his…how do you know if he's playing for keeps?

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

I am stuffed and tired! But, yesterday was a great day with family and friends. I love entertaining and having everyone over and cooking bunches of stuffs :-) I'm a good cook (if I DO say so myself) and I love feeding people. (No wonder I need to go on a diet the first of the year!)

Today in History: 1582-- William Shakespeare (18) and Anne Hathaway (26) pay for their marriage license. Six months later, their child Susanna is born. To read all about, you can check out This Day in History.

For a different take on this marriage, check out Karen Harper's upcoming book, Mistress Shakespeare, which is being released in February.

In Mistress Shakespeare, Elizabethan beauty Anne Whateley reveals intimate details of her dangerous, daring life and her great love, William Shakespeare. As historical records show, Anne Whateley of Temple Grafton is betrothed to Will just days before he is forced to wed the pregnant Anne Hathaway of Shottery. The clandestine Whateley/Shakespeare match is a meeting of hearts and heads that no one—not even Queen Elizabeth or her spymasters—can destroy. From rural Stratford-upon- Avon to teeming London, the passionate pair struggles to stay solvent and remain safe from Elizabeth I’s campaign to hunt down secret Catholics, of whom Shakespeare is rumored to be a part. Often at odds, always in love, the couple sells Will’s first plays and, as he climbs to theatrical power in Elizabeth’s England, they fend off fierce competition from rival London dramatists, ones as treacherous as they are talented. Persecution and plague, insurrection and inferno, friends and foes, even executions of those they hold dear, bring Anne’s heartrending story to life. Spanning half a century of Elizabethan and Jacobean history and sweeping from the lowest reaches of society to the royal court, this richly textured novel tells the real story of Shakespeare in love.

Thursday Thirteen: Thanksgiving Day

Thirteen Pieces of Thanksgiving and turkey Trivia

13. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade tradition began in the 1920's.

12. Congress passed an official proclamation in 1941 and declared that now onwards Thanksgiving will be observed as a legal holiday on the fourth Thursday of November every year.

11. Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor with a magazine, started a Thanksgiving campaign in 1827 and it was result of her efforts that in 1863 Thanksgiving was observed as a day for national thanksgiving and prayer.

10. Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.

9. Domesticated turkeys or the farm-raised turkeys cannot fly.

8. According to an estimate, during the Thanksgiving holiday more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and around 525 million pounds of turkey is eaten.

7. The red fleshy growth from the base of the beak that hangs down over the beak is called 'snood'. It is very long on male turkeys.

6. An estimate of 50% of Americans put stuffing inside the the turkey. The other 50% keeps stuffing as a separate side dish to the meal. Which way do you prefer?

5. The Pilgrims did NOT wear big buckles on their shoes and hats. I know we all think it a trademark of the Pilgrims though somewhere along the line this was made up! Buckles were not actually in style until the late 1600s - especially during the Salem Witch Trials.

4. In 1947, the first Presidential pardon was ceremoniously given to a turkey.

3. As far back as 1000 A.D., Native American Indians raised turkeys for food. Aztec Indians in Mexico were raising them as early as 200B.C.

2. THREE is the number of places nationwide named after the holiday's tasty gobbler. Turkey, Texas, is the most populous, with 496 residents; followed by Turkey Creek, La. (357); and Turkey, N.C. (267). There also are 16 townships around the country named "Turkey," three of them in Kansas.

1. A spooked turkey can run 20 MPH.

Thanks!

Truthfully, aside from listing those things for which I am thankful (My daughter, my husband, my pets, a home, food, a writing career), I'm a bit blank as to what to write today. It's been a long month, with my routine in disarray because of several unplanned events. My brain just isn't working the way it should! So, instead I'll give you a few quotes about gratitude and Thanksgiving:

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving. ~H.U. Westermayer

It is literally true, as the thankless say, that they have nothing to be thankful for. He who sits by the fire, thankless for the fire, is just as if he had no fire. Nothing is possessed save in appreciation, of which thankfulness is the indispensable ingredient. But a thankful heart hath a continual feast. ~W.J. Cameron

And one last one, not quite so serious:

I love Thanksgiving turkey. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends!

So Thankful!

"I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose." ~Woody Allen

I know a bit cliched, but I love this time of year, and I am really thankful for so much. So, today I wanted to just express what I am thankful for.

~ My Family: The one I was born into, the one I married into and the one I made. They are all so amazing. They've supported me in all my endeavors, laughed with me, cried with me and are just awesome to share a gene pool with.

~ My Friends: Always there for me to lay my head on their shoulder and cry or complain, they are also the part of my family that I made. They worry when they don't see me for long periods of time (unless I'm writing) and have been known to show up on my doorstep (both in the real world and the virtual world) for no apparent reason except that they haven't seen much of me.

~ My dog: He may drive me nuts with his overprotective and downright SCARY flipping barking, his dumping the trash in my living room if I leave for only 10 minutes but when he lays across my feet while I write, or when he simply sits next to me demanding attention I would do just about anything to see that silly doggy grin of his.

~My home: When so many people are losing their homes due to the horrid economy, we are truly blessed to have a home we can afford and is actually a rather nice size for our family. Now if I could just get it organized the way I want it to be!

~ My job: I am so lucky to do what I love and still love it at the end of the day. The kids bring me great joy and I have so much fun passing on my knowledge of dance to them.

~ Laughter: Laughter is the absolute best medicine. If we can laugh in the face of adversity then we can find ourselves in a much happier state of mind on most things. (Did that make sense?)

So, I am tired right now (extremely actually, sorry) so that's all I can think of off the top of my head that I'm so thankful this Thanksgiving season. I hope everyone else has a beautiful holiday filled with love and laughter, family and friends and most of all... LOTS of fabulous food. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Promo Op ~ Guest Blogging

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Book Trailer ~ The Healing Spell by Kiki Howell

The Healing Spell by Kiki Howell

Samantha, a confident witch, is eager to help David, a creatively frustrated ad executive she happens upon. She proposes a daring venture in which she will lead him through the steps of a sexual magic spell with the intent to heal him. Instantly mesmerized by her beauty and knowledge, he soon learns that pleasure is magick as they create an energy circle by bathing, massaging and arousing one another in various positions.

Yet, once the spell has been completed, he finds he cannot just take his talisman and walk away from her, and the witch finds her carefully protected heart on the line. When the tables turn will David be able to teach the teacher a thing or two about romance…

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Who Shot JR?

That was the question that was fascinating not only the United States, but the world twenty-eight years ago. What was it that made 350 million people world-wide tune in to find out the answer? As writers, this is a question we need to ponder. There are writers who have managed to grab the readers' attention and make them want to know "what next"? Harry Potter, the Twilight series, Sherrilyn Kenyon's books, the Outlander series....all of these come to mind.

What is it they have? And, how can we as writers grab that elusive "something"? I don't have an answer. What about you? What do you think makes some series so fascinating? And, what characters have you read that leaves you wanting to know...what next?

And... for you lovers of Procrastination Friday:













Created by Anu
Garg.

Thursday before Thanksgiving

...and where has this year gone? I won't be here next week, so I thought I would tell y'all thirteen things I'm cooking for Thanksgiving dinner:

1. roast turkey-- we've thought often about changing, but there is something to be said for tradition

2. my grandmother's cornbread dressing-- I've used this same recipe all my life and it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it

3. Giblet gravy

4. Brown gravy-- yep, we do two different kinds, because I like them both :-)

5. mashed potatoes-- I DO do this a bit differently than my grandmother did. For several years now, I've not been peeling my potatoes. Just scrubbing them good. More fiber, more vitamins, and time saving...what's not to love???

6. green bean casserole-- another traditional food, but this is one we have several times a year... not just on Thanksgiving

7. white acre peas -- we always had this particular kind of pea when I was growing up. It's a tiny light green pea and I just love eathing them, so I always try to find some for Thanksgiving

8. Shoepeg corn-- this, too, is something I grew up with. We would eat regular sweet corn the rest of the year, but for Thanksgiving we always had shoepeg.... :::shrugging::: who know why, but... it's tradition.

9. regular cranberry sauce-- I normally put two cans in the refrigerator around this time. The kids love cranberry sauce

10. fresh cranberry sauce-- DH, on the other hand, loves his fresh, with whole berries. So, I buy several bags and stick them in the freezer. I'll make it for Thanksgiving and again for Christmas.

11. "Grandma's Orange Salad"-- not MY grandmother, but my mom. She makes a wonderful salad with jello, whipped cream, sour cream, and mandarin oranges. It's always first on the list of things we have for any special dinner.

12. dinner rolls-- these vary depending on my mood. Sometimes we have biscuits, sometimes regular dinner rolls.

13. Desserts: pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, pecan pie, etc. It's a pie-lovers haven!

What are y'all going to have???

Pondering...

I know we, as authors, value our reviews. But do you think they ultimately make a difference in whether readers buy your work?

This question was posed on a blog I read, and the comments (9 of them) said that reviews mattered little compared to recommendations from friends and supporting writer friends.

I pondered this for a bit and wondered why I buy books, especially from a new author. And, you know what? I DO consider reviews IF they come from reputable source... I almost never use Amazon reviews because I don't think they're necessarily authentic.

I do read reviews at reviews sites and blogs, and I take them all into account before I buy. I don't trust one review, necessarily, but will compare several and see what they say.

I do prefer recommendations from friends, since they know me and my reading habits well. And I certainly support my author friends when they are published, but I don't think reviews can be discounted out of hand.

What do YOU think?

Accent-Uate The Positive

Yup, that's what I want to talk about today: Accents!

I know you're probably scratching your head wondering what that's all about, but I really do have a point. How much is too much? "Huh?" you ask.

What is the right amount of accent/language to include? As a reader what do you like or not like? I know that I have a few friends who don't really like to try and decipher a heavy accent like a Scottish brogue, but don't mind a little thrown in for flavor. Myself, I don't mind it as long as it goes with the feel of the story. I kind of like trying to figure out what certain words mean, but I'm a bit perverse that way. As an author, I love trying to find new ways to say familiar things. The reason this is in my head today is that my NaNo project has a few Gaelic speaking fellows that had me wracking my brain... imagine my surprise when one told me: "Royally screwed? Means ye're rightly bollixed and regally fecked!"

So, as a reader, what do you like to see? Read? Whatever. Do you like seeing the accents and languages? Or are you a purist: just give you the meaning and insinuate accent? I'd love to know your take on it.

Promo Op ~ Guest Blogging

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Book Trailer ~ Engaging Deception by Summer Jordan

Engaging Deception by Summer Jordan

What do you do when you need a fiance and a diamond ring in a hurry--and your steady guy says ""no way""?

To get her nagging mother off her back, Erin Fox has told her she was engaged. Now, with the rapidly approaching marriage of her too-perfect cousin Angel, Erin needs to show up on the arm of a handsome man, wearing a solitaire on her left ring finger. But she doesn't have a man.

Then Derek, a handsome, hot-blooded bartender, winks at her one night and she hopes she's found the right guy to play the role. But when they wind up making torrid love every chance they get, she realises she'd like to sign him on for real. She's falling for him and he can't get enough of her, but he's made a commitment she doesn't know about, and everything Erin thinks she knows is untrue.

Derek is under a deadline of a different kind, but each must make a move by the same date. Is he really engaged in deception, or is he just too kind for his own good?

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Want to see your book trailer here? Go here to find out how!

Friday with Jenny

I love writing... and I need to make more time to write but it seems outside things (which are all important) keep leeching time away from me. I think scientists should truly invent a time machine... not so much one that lets you travel through time, but one that generates time.

How is it that we have all the time-saving devices that have been invented in the last hundred years or so, and yet we seem to have a lot less time now than the people of previous generations have? It doesn't make sense to me.

And, speaking of history, today in 1851---Moby Dick:

On this day in 1851, Moby-Dick, a novel by Herman Melville about the voyage of the whaling ship Pequod, is published by Harper & Brothers in New York. Moby-Dick is now considered a great classic of American literature and contains one of the most famous opening lines in fiction: "Call me Ishmael." Initially, though, the book about Captain Ahab and his quest for a giant white whale was a flop.

To read the rest of the article, go to This Day in History.

And, for you fans of Procrastination Friday:

Check out the Fireworks over London

Thursday Thirteen: Spelling!

Thirteen words I routinely misspell
aka Thank God for spell check

(I'm reminded of a joke from comedian, Gallagher, when talking about the craziness of the English language and he said something to the effect of - "one" sounds like it has a "wa-wa" at the beginning but it doesn't, then "two" has a "wa-wa" you don't even need!!)

13. Foreign - an exception to the i before e rule... argh.

12. Embarrass -- I always want to use only one "r" in the middle.

11. Marriage / carriage - that dang "ai" or is it "ia"??

10. Psycho-anything (I want to add ph)

9. Anything that ends with "in" because I always, always add a "g" to make in -ing

8. Of... yes really. When I'm tired I totally forget how it's spelled.

7. Acknowledge (I always want to write it like awkward - awknowledge)

6. Its -- drives me nuts that it's possessive, and doesn't have an apostrophe!

5. Success -- if Rick Springfield hadn't named an album "Success Hasn't Spoiled me Yet", I'd never be able to spell the stupid thing. Why so many double letters? Do we really need them??

4. Business -- What the heck do we need that "i" for anyway?

3. Sheriff -- I recently wrote a story with a sheriff as hero, and I wrote "sherrif" every single time.

2. Rapport -- in my head, I know it's French, so I try to spell it with an "oir" (like reservoir, etc): repoire

1. Vicious -- Just today I was talking to Jenny about my dog and I called her viscous! ROFL. Every time I try to type vicious, it comes out wrong.

What about you? What words do you commonly misspell?

Twitterotica Contest

Ravenous Romance™ TwittErotica Contest

Are u the Twitter Master? Can u get ur message out in 140 characters or less? If so, then prove it. We challenge u to put ur fingers to ur twit & send us ur hot, erotic short, but remember, short is the key... it has 2 fit in2 140 chrctrs...or less! Check back on Dec 1 to read all entries + the winning Tweet!

Winner receives a $15 gift certificate to Ravenous Romance = 3 novels or 15 shorts! Submissions: Twitterotica@RavenousRomance.com

Ready, set...tweet!

Also, sign up for the mailing list and enter win a free iPod while you're there.

Alpha? Where?

My NaNo project is moving along in my head... if only I could get a chance to sit down and just write it. This particular story actually started a few months ago (some of you know exactly when, lol), but I basically started over for NaNo. Lately I've been finding notes that I've written while out and about in my purse, the diaper bag and even in my husband's notebooks as it's the only thing to do when an idea strikes me of late. Write it down on what's handy and hope I get a chance relatively soon to write it out and make it work.

As I work, and research and think I keep coming back to one question: What is it about an Alpha male that draws us? What is it that draws a seemingly sane, independent woman to fall for an Alpha male?

The main hero in my story is definitely an Alpha in just about every sense of the word. He's intense, demanding, impatient, sometimes downright rude... and have I mentioned he's a werewolf? Why do I find that so sexy? Especially when I consider the fact that if he ever said half the things to me that he's said to my heroine I'd punch him in the mouth!

So what is it that we love about this type of man? I know that I love the thought that even though I like to control so much of my life, he would take that control and do as he wished with me. *shiver* I love the thought of looking into his eyes and seeing that he KNOWS he has that power over me.

So, as I write my NaNo story, and fall more and more under the spell of my hero I ask you: What do YOU love about an Alpha hero? I'd love to hear your take on the draw they have.

Until next time.

Promo Op: Guest Blogging!

We Wild Women will be hosting a guest blogger on this blog each Monday, beginning soon!

If you're interested in being a guest on our blog, please feel free to choose a couple of open dates (in case your first choice is taken) and send us an email with your dates and a subject, if you know one.

The only thing we ask is that the post is actually about something. It can be about nearly anything at all, we're not terrifically picky, but ... we'd like it to have a subject.

Friday Fun with Jenny

hmmmm....and what kind of fun shall we have with Jenny today? Jenny has been a slacker and should be punished. What a bad, bad girl she's been. You should help us decide what kind of punishment Jenny should have....leave your suggestions here :-)

Jenny is getting ready for a brand new start....her story is at a standstill, but she has some ideas to get it out of the rut. So, she'll be working on that shortly. What are some of the things you enjoy seeing in an erotic romance book? And, if you are a writer yourself, what books would you suggest for my....ahem.....edification?

And now... a fun game from Jenny....I'm all for mindless games to let the batteries recharge:

This is one of my all-time favorites. It's a free download, so enjoy and let those creative brain cells rest while you play this game. Free DX-Ball Download

Thursday Thirteen ~ Pictures I've Taken

On behalf of The Menagerie I apologize that we fell behind this last week... but I warned you! And, since I am firmly stuck in NaNo mode and not really able to focus beyond that my Thirteen this week are some pictures I've taken. I don't claim to be a great photographer, but I really like the way some of these turned out. Enjoy!

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So that's it for this week's 13. Hope you enjoyed them, and that y'all have a great rest of your week and on into your weekend.