Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season!!

The elves are lined up and ready for Santa's visit! Are you ready for Christmas?

Ready or not, here it comes...

Have a very merry Christmas and a relaxing week! Whatever you do, and wherever you are, remember to take the time to enjoy the experience.  The music, the food, the looks on the faces around you...

Happy Holidays!

Cover Reveal: THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE, by Toni De Palma

One of my fellow Crescent Moon Press authors had a cover reveal party yesterday - I know I'm a day late to the party, but what a cool cover! Check this out...

 

 

The Devil's Triangle

by Toni De Palma

 

When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.

 

While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.

 

While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.

 

Sounds pretty different - definitely adding it to my TBR list!!!

Find Toni and The Devil's Triangle here: Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13610688-devil-s-triangle Website:http://tonidepalma.com/published-works.html Twitter:https://twitter.com/ToniDePalma1 Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/#!/toni.depalma

Quinn's Cookie Exchange: Peanut Butter Blossoms

I've celebrated the release of a lot of new books this year, but this idea takes the cake. Or the cookie. Christmas cookies, to be exact ;-)

I've been invited to participate in a Cookie Recipe Swap by the lovely and talented Angela Felsted. She's celebrating the release of her first full-length novel - CHASTE.

I haven't read it yet, but I love the simplicity of the cover, and apparently the main character, Quinn, is a boy who likes to cook! (Thus the idea for the whole cookie exchange thingee!)

The book's blurb goes like this:

When he steps into his physics class on the first day of senior year, Quinn Walker is too exhausted from staying up all night with his three-month-old nephew to deal with moral dilemmas. As a devout Mormon who has vowed to wait until marriage for sex, the last thing he needs is a very hot and very sexy Katarina Jackson as his physics partner. Regrettably, he has no choice.

Kat feels invisible in her mansion of a home six months after losing her older brother in a fatal car crash and will do anything to get her parents’ attention. Since her pastor father has no love for Quinn’s “fake” religion and her ex-boyfriend refuses to leave her alone, she makes an impulsive bet with her friends to seduce her holier-than-thou lab partner by Christmas.

She also has a trailer which you can see by clicking here:  http://youtu.be/LQ4xPnf99gs

CHASTE is available as a Kindle or Paperback from Amazon - click here to go to the page:
http://www.amazon.com/Chaste-Angela-Felsted/dp/1480210609/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1354035858&sr=1-1 

Wow - adding that to my TBR list for winter - but right now, I'm busy baking up Christmas cookies and want to share one of our family's favorite recipes - Peanut Butter Blossoms. Yep, the ones with the whole Hershey Kiss stuck to the top!

Peanut Butter "Blossoms"

1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
white sugar for rolling
...and unwrapped Hershey Kisses

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together margarine, peanut butter, and sugars.Blend in egg, milk and vanilla.Add dry ingredients.

With clean hands, roll small amounts of dough into walnut size balls.Roll balls in sugar to coat. Place on baking sheet.Bake about 10-12 minutes.

As soon as remove cookie tray from oven, place one unwrapped candy in the center of each cookie, pressing chocolate down into soft, warm cookie.As the cookie cools fully, the chocolate will harden into place. Just don't try to pack them up until the chocolates have hardened or you'll get a big mess!

(Got "leftover" unwrapped candies? Me neither!)

 

Holiday Guest Blogging and Prizes!

My chair is empty today, as I've traveled over to Kate Evangelista's blog to talk about all things Christmas! Well, maybe not all things, but you know what I mean ;-)

Kate is a fellow Crescent Moon Press author, whose YA novel TASTE was one of the reasons I queried CMP in the first place!

Kate has been celebrating the Holiday Season all month with a series of guests and a ton of prizes and giveaways. If you haven't been over to her blog to check it out yet... you're missing out! GO! NOW!

Come visit me over there today at www.kateevangelista.com and be sure to leave a comment! I'm talking about my most memorable Christmas - and invite you to share a Christmas memory or two. There are 24 of us authors participating, and each of us is giving away some great stuff.

I'm giving away a paperback copy of my first novel, UNFOLDING THE SHADOWS, because it JUST CAME OUT IN PAPERBACK IN NOVEMBER! *yea*

Countdown to Christmas: Already Got My Gift!

My husband and I just returned from a week away in Mexico... where we sat on the beach for long, uninterrupted stretches and drank margaritas from noon until night. We wiggled our toes in the sand, took advantage of the hotel's spa, and marveled at the blue green waters and shimmering orange sunrises.

The first week in December is not a popular vacation time in Los Cabos, and the resort was practically empty until the very last day of our vacation. Which was fine with us.

And... I finally got to indulge this fantasy I've had for awhile about sitting on an almost empty beach on a lounge chair with an umbrella and a table next to me, while a waiter dressed all in white trudges across a long stretch of sand carrying a tray filled with drinks just for me. And maybe some french fries.

It was awesome.

It was also interesting to watch the resort prepare for the Holidays. Christmas is pretty big in Mexico, and every morning we'd notice new decorations or some new addition to a holiday display - there were decorated trees in every corner and a plethora of poinsettias all over the place. Check back next week when I get my photos organized to share with you...
 
Big thanks go out to my little sister, who came and stayed at my house to take care of the kids and dogs and keep everyone in their busy routines. I couldn't have done it without her and boy I hope she knows how much I love and appreciate her! (Everyone should have a sister as wonderful as mine!)

Going away in December meant I had to get the Christmas cards done early (check), get the tree up and decorated (check, mostly), and get everyone's schedule organized in a binder so that no one missed a lesson or got left standing around at a bus stop... and I guess everything went smoothly.

I missed my daughter's week of basketball tryouts (she made the team) and my son's first high school winterfest with the music department (he says he was a good helper with selling christmas trees) and my older son's first basketball scrimmage (but I was home in time for his first "real" game last night.)

And now I'm home. Back on Cape Cod where the beaches aren't nearly as warm this time of year, and the ocean isn't nearly as blue. I'm already caught up with both emails and work, and now I know I need to get back to my writing. And enjoying the December Holidays in more traditional New England ways than walking barefoot on warm beaches...

The only problem is that now I know there won't be any big gifts for me under the tree on the 25th. I've had my big Christmas gift already. And I'm okay with that. More than okay.

What are you hoping for under your tree? Are you headed somewhere warm to celebrate the holidays?

I recommend Mexico. Especially if there's a waiter with a tray of margaritas.

Countdown to Christmas: To Snow or Not to Snow?

So...... Christmas and Snow. They go together for most people, especially in New England. I guess not so much in warmer climates where there's never any snow anyway. But I've always had a white Christmas... in fact, as a kid, I remember being ultra-panicked the year there was no snow.

How would Santa's sleigh be able to fly?

Would they have to cancel Christmas?

Christmas Eve was a real nail-biter... and then Christmas Morning... my sisters and I got up and sprinted anxiously down to check under the tree... and Santa had made it! And there were three new shiny bicycles sitting there with big red bows on them and BOY, were we glad there wasn't any SNOW so that we could go right out in our pajamas and test out those bikes!!

So... it all worked out. Since we've moved to Cape Cod, I think we've only had one white Christmas. Which is okay with me. And the kids don't seem to mind either way. They don't really like wearing snow pants and boots anyway.

Only the Puppy is praying for snow this year.

How about you? White Christmas or No? What do you prefer?

Countdown to Christmas: Cookie Stroll This Weekend!

The 7th Annual Holiday Cookie Stroll will take place tomorrow, Saturday, December 8, from 10:00-3:00, rain or shine, in historic Bass River, South Yarmouth.

The "ticket" is actually a cookbook with the recipes of all cookies served on this two-mile walking tour to ten sites, including the Cultural Center of Cape Cod and an Open House at the South Yarmouth Library.

Last year, I went with my mom, my sister and my neighbor. Mom was in the middle of her first round of chemotherapy before her surgery, so she was a little weak but still enthusiastic. She loves Christmas, and loves checking out historic homes. It was a fun day. We took it slow, and there's a trolley if you need a break from walking.
 

The cookbook comes with a festive drawstring bag for collecting cookies along the way. Free trolley transport will be available between groups of houses. All proceeds go to support the South Yarmouth Library. This year's honorees are Trustee Emeritus Priscilla Conner and the late John Conner, both former trustees and treasurers of the South Yarmouth Library Association.Hot cider and cranberry bread will be served at the library, where visitors will see a display about the Conners.

Tickets are $15.00. Children under 12 are free but only ticket holders receive cookies. Tickets are limited and may be purchased at the South Yarmouth Library, Bass River Shoe Repair on Old Main Street, and Adrene Jewelers in the Hearth and Kettle Plaza.

Countdown to Christmas: Decorating the Tree

I love decorating the Christmas tree. Unwrapping the ornaments, getting out the boxes and bags of garlands and lights- even untangling the lights is okay with me. I turn up the carols and get into the holiday spirit - the zen of tree decorating, you might say.

But. I have to admit, it's always more fun when I have helpers. It may take longer (and I may need to sneak back after bedtime and rearrange some of the ornaments...) but it's always more fun.

This year, I did most of the tree decorating alone. Not nearly as much fun, especially since there's no one to laugh with. No one to drape the garlands on themselves like they did when they were little, or laugh with me about some of the silly things we put on the tree from year to year.

Not going to do that again. Next year, I'm picking a day when everyone can help, or the tree will stay bare until Christmas Eve!

What about you? Do you have a slew of helpers at the ready, or do you enjoy listening to carols and taking your time?

Seventeen and Counting...

My oldest child turns seventeen today. It's hard to believe he was ever so little and cute and goofy... well, he's still cute. And still pretty goofy. Just not so little.

Happy Birthday, Kiddo. Hope the coming year brings great things your way!

Countdown to Christmas: Baking Cookies!

While I love baking cookies any time of year, the holidays are my FAVORITE time to break out the rolling pin, the colored sugars, the M+Ms... oh, who am I kidding about the Ms? Those are good all year 'round!

But seriously, I love baking Christmas cookies, and am so thankful that my daughter loves to be right by my side baking up a storm! (and that she is weird and doesn't like eating Ms, so more for me!)

She even helped me out with an article about Creative Cookies for the Holiday Issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine, you know, that place I'm supposed to be working today but am too busy baking cookies (I wish!)

Anyway, check out her story and our recipes for old-fashioned Stained Glass Cookies and Peanut Butter Blossoms - yes, the ones with the whole Hershey Kiss sitting on the top! You can find the recipes in the Creative Women section of CapeWomenOnline magazine, along with photos.

Melissa Ann Goodwin comes to Cape Cod!

Melissa Goodwin will be on Cape Cod - in Yarmouth - tomorrow night to sign copies of her wonderful childrens book, The Christmas Village.

Here are the details:

Friday, November 30, from 6 to 8pm

at

One Centre Street Inn

1 Center Street,Yarmouth Port MA 02675 

508-362-9951

If you're a fan of Melissa's blog, stop over there to give her a shout out! If you're going to be on Cape Cod for one of the wonderful Christmas Strolls going on this weekend, stop by the Inn and say hi in person! Center Street is right off 6A in Yarmouth Port, easy to get to.

She's a wonderful and warm person, and I've had fun getting to know her as we've gone back and forth online about her visits to Cape Cod, among her various travels over the past year. Melissa also wrote a wonderful article for the Holiday Issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine - check it out in our Literary Women section.

And Don't Forget to send her some love ;-) 

About THE CHRISTMAS VILLAGE:

When 12-year-old Jamie Reynolds comes to his grandparents' Vermont home for Christmas, he just wants things to go back to the way they were before his dad disappeared. Time and again he is drawn to Grandma's miniature Christmas village, where he imagines that life is perfect.

Late one night, his fantasy of escaping into it becomes very real indeed.

Jamie discovers that the village is called Canterbury, where the year is 1932. He becomes fast friends with Kelly and Christopher Pennysworth, and is taken in by Ida, who runs the local boarding house. But he also makes a dangerous enemy of the mysterious and menacing Jim Gordon, whose return to town is nothing but trouble.

As Jamie desperately races against time to find his way back home, he is suddenly faced with a terrifying choice: to go ahead with his plan to leave, or to stay and help his friends, at the risk of never going home again.

The Christmas Village on Amazon

The Christmas Village on Smashwords

The Christmas Village on Facebook

 

Countdown to Christmas: Gingerbread Madness

When the boys were little, we started a family tradition that involved gingerbread houses. Or, in the case of this one in the photo, graham cracker shacks!

The annual contest is not as much about beauty as... innovation. Best use of materials. A unique chimney made out of something different. A scene in the "yard" that makes us laugh. Something we haven't seen before...

Most important is having fun.

Some years it gets competitive. The year one of my sisters was in Culinary School she got a little wacky with wanting to be precise and drove her partner - my son - Absolutely Crazy. Because he knew that's not what it should be about. Gingerbread contests shouldn't be about precision. They're about fun.

Do you make gingerbread - or graham cracker - houses? If you've got a crowd (or classroom) of kids, graham crackers are totally the way to go. (Or if you want to build a shanty town, like we did one year...) My dad instituted the idea of prizes - but everybody gets one. He comes up with a prize title that "fits" each individual work... and each winner gets a dollar. Even though they're teenagers now, the dollar still means something. The tradition still means something.

Probably because it's a tradition.

Do you have a tradition like this in your home?

UNFOLDING THE SHADOWS available in Paperback!

Today I'm celebrating a new release - kind of. My debut novel UNFOLDING THE SHADOWS first hit e-readers in 2009... but as of November 20, 2012 it's now FINALLY available as a paperback, too!

The publisher is Ellora's Cave, for the Blush line of sweet romances, but this is more a romantic suspense wrapped up in a ghost story.

It's available on Amazon for the paperback price of $16.99... and still available as an ebook, on sale for $1.49 for your Kindle.

The back-of-book blurb reads:

Jillian has worked hard to close the doors on her past and the psychic abilities that defined her youth. For sixteen years, she's ignored the ghosts who still try to whisper to her. Even her controlling husband Kyle has no idea that his wife can talk to spirits. But on the day after Christmas, her great aunt's car smashes head-on with a commuter train and Jillian finds herself on a collision course with ghosts who refuse to remain in the shadows any longer.

Long-hidden secrets are coming to light and Jillian's life has to change to accommodate them. With the help of her friends and a substantial inheritance, she sets her life in a new direction, but Kyle's not about to lose out on his share of Jillian's inheritance... even if he has to kill her to get it.

Follow this link to order your copy today:

http://www.amazon.com/Unfolding-Shadows-Katie-OSullivan/dp/1419966723/ref=sr_1_2_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1353944949&sr=1-2&keywords=unfolding+the+shadows

Countdown to Christmas!

It's the day after Thanksgiving and you know what that means....

It's the start of the Official Countdown to Christmas! (cue the confetti and carols!)

Now, I know that the Christmas aisles have been set up for a while in BJs and Home Depot and just about every other chain store out there. Heck, a few of the little shops in Harwich Port decorated with lights and trees over Veterans Day weekend.

But to me, the day after Thanksgiving will ALWAYS be the official start of the season. Time to write out the holiday cards and start playing carols while baking yummy treats to give as gifts. Nothing says Christmas like the smell of pine in the living room and cinnamon scents wafting from the kitchen.

Ready... Set... Celebrate!

And tell me, what's your favorite part of the holiday season? What are you most looking forward to in the next month?

Giving Thanks...

 

Today is traditionally the biggest travel day of the year, and Puppy can't wait to get on the road. She's going to have to battle my daughter for her seat - both of them claim the same seat in the minivan as "exclusive" - Puppy has more weight to throw around but my daughter has been known to throw elbows. We'll see who wins. As long as Puppy stays away from the apple pie and the basket of chocolate we have for the hostess, we'll all be fine...

Actually, Puppy and her sister are convinced they're being left behind with the house sitter. But this year, they've been invited to join us for Thanksgiving at their cousin Louie's insistence.

Puppy has never been to visit Louie's house - hopefully she behaves herself and the cousins don't get into too much mischief. But I'm thankful that we can all be together for the holiday, whether or not there's an "emergency" bath involved.

For all of you traveling this week - be safe out there! And for all of you hosting holiday feasts and holiday guests - take a deep breath. Remember why you're busy cleaning house and preparing food, and be thankful for your abundance of friends and family. Because that's what this holiday is all about. Giving thanks.

And if you're thinking about skipping out on dessert to get a good place in line at some super store that plans to open Thanksgiving night, or skip the football game so you can wake up before dawn to shop the Black Friday sales...don't. Relax, and enjoy this holiday first - the only one with NO gifts involved or expected. Saturday is early enough to start shopping for the next holiday.

Remember to give thanks for all you have, and be grateful for each of those people around your table.

I'm grateful for all the blog and Facebook friends I've made over the last few years, and for your words of encouragement and support. I'm thankful for the opportunity my new publisher is giving me to break into the world of YA with my mermaid tale, and for having found such a wonderful, supportive environment with the authors of Crescent Moon Press. I'm grateful for both my immediate and extended family, and that everyone is now relatively healthy - illness in the family is so hard on everyone it touches. And I'm grateful for my three wonderful children - five if you include the dogs - who bring joy to my life every day, even when they're making me crazy.

Now, tell us something you're grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Holiday Issue of CapeWomenOnline is Here!

The Holiday 2012 Issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine is available online now! Filled with inspiring stories and fun ideas just in time for the start of the holiday season, we hope you enjoy this issue of the magazine.

From creative cookie recipes to a tongue-in-cheek look at the ubiquitous holiday letter, to stories of local food banks and the homeless situation on Cape Cod, to tales of perseverance and courage, this issue has a little something for everyone.

And remember, we're always looking for more good stories. If you have a Cape Cod connection and a story to tell, send me a note and let's talk. The deadline for the Winter 2013 issue is coming right up on December 3rd, and new for 2013 we're going to have themes for each issue, to help get your creative juices flowing. The theme for Winter 2013 is "Fire and Ice" and will focus on the duality of our current times and the world we live in.

The Holidays are On Their Way...

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? And Hanukkah starts soon after that... and then, before you know it...Christmas.

I've been working with Christmas and Holiday themed articles and stories for the last two months as we put together the Holiday issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine. We should be launching the magazine online this weekend (if there are no major snafus) but I've been thinking about the nature of this issue. It doesn't seem as "jolly" as previous years, or as glittery and over-the-top as the word "Holiday" seems to demand. Nor does it seem to me that people are withdrawing to curl up next to the fireplace and only focus on their own close-knit family. The feeling in the air is different this year.

And I don't think it's just me.

Maybe I'm just being the eternal optimist, but it seems like people are reaching out more. The actual "Spirit of Christmas" is alive and well, even if it isn't dusted with quite as much glitter and shiny toys.

Yes, the economy is still struggling, but people are refocusing on buying smaller and buying local to keep their local shops alive. Not a day has gone by in the last month that I haven't gotten a Facebook notice about another fundraiser for a good cause, or another collection for the victims of Hurricane Sandy who lost it all in the storm. People are looking outward, to help others in need,

Small things and simple acts are taking on more importance. The spirit of giving and volunteering seems  popular again - and even "cool" among students.

As I struggle to wrap my mind around holiday shopping, it occurs to me that my kids aren't asking for much this year. Maybe that's normal as they turn into teens and young adults, that they realize they don't need every shiny toy advertised on television. They are happy with what they have, and are more focused on what to give others.

How about you - have you noticed a downward shift in the "holiday frenzy," or am I just being optimistic?

Puppy Tales: The Ubiquitous Christmas Photo

The sun was shining and the air was unseasonably warm yesterday. AND the kids were out of school for the Veterans Day holiday. AND Snapfish was having a one-day sale on penny prints. You know what that means?

Puppy thought it meant a long romp on the beach. Um, perhaps that should have been my objective. But no. I decided it was time to take the annual Christmas photo.

Before you roll your eyes at me, let me say that I really do enjoy receiving everyone's photos each year, and seeing how the kids have grown and changed, and hearing all the news. I LOVE that part of Christmas - catching up with friends from all across the country whom we don't get to see every year or nearly enough in general. But I tend to stress out a bit about choosing a photo of my own to send out to everyone.

Now, I know some people scroll through and pick good shots from throughout their "normal" year. As in, NOT a posed picture specific for the holidays. And then there are others who go to great lengths with matching holiday garb...

I'm somewhere in the middle. When the boys were little I used to put them in matching - or at least complimentary - outfits. Surly teens don't fall for that kind of thing. I'm lucky I got them into button down shirts on a non-grandparent holiday.

Puppy, however, didn't understand the point of being ON THE BEACH and not chasing seagulls. Why were we sitting in the dunes instead of splashing in the waves? WHAT WAS THE POINT???

I thought she would be my biggest problem when I scrolled through the hundred plus shots I snapped off on the rapid-fire surly teenager setting that my camera is luckily equipped with. Umm, no again. Puppy was a trooper - looking cute and cuter in each shot. Seriously, tongue in, tongue out, winking her eye at the camera. Too cute for words. For the most part, she was the perfect two year old.

It was the kids. Who are much more than two. And who have been doing this for how many years now? Making faces, looking away, not smiling, closing their eyes... argh!

We did eventually get a couple that I liked. (NOT one of these, or the 96 others that didn't work out...) I placed the order with Snapfish before their sale ended. Another holiday task completed and checked off the list.

How about you? Do you "torture" your children like this? Or send photo cards? Do you like receiving them? What's your family tradition? Tell us - because I may need to come up with something new for next year!

Do You NaNo?

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this month?

Why? Why Not?

I decided Not to sign up officially, as I thought it would stress me out. Seriously. The month of November just has too many days off from school and too many events - scheduled and unscheduled - for me to participate without going a little wonky.

The year I "played along" and took the NaNo challenge seriously, I completed the first draft of my second novel. It was a good thing, and a good experience. And I needed a month off from writing afterward.


Last year, my mom was sick which was stress enough. This year has been so full of stressers already that I didn't really consider adding more just for fun.

I decided to "unofficially" NaNo. I'm not signed up. But I am working on the sequel to Son of A Mermaid, which is scheduled for a May 2013 release. And I'm 12,000+ words into it as of yesterday. *Yea!* But I'm still not signed up and don't feel that NaNo stress. Also, *Yea!*

Next year? We'll see. If our house project is complete and I have a new office space carved out, it may be the perfect way to "break it all in," so to speak. Well, that and the ginormous Halloween party I'm already planning in my head.

But that's next year. What about You and This Year's NaNo?

Why or Why Not? That is the question.

One Day More...

Who else is ready for the election to be over?

Puppy Tales: Puppy versus Sandy

 It's been a long, strange week along much of the East Coast. The ocean has been wild and angry.

The day after Sandy passed, Puppy still wasn't allowed off her leash as we toured the erosion in our neighborhood.

y

Headed to the beach now before it rains, hoping for a chance to run.

Thoughts and prayers are with all those in the areas hard hit by Sandy, Puppy sends her love, too.

Hurricane Sandy on her way to Cape Cod

These were taken this morning about 2 hours before the mid-day high tide. I'll try to get back up at high tide to take more photos. You can see that the waves are already surging well over the jetty.

As of this moment, we still have power, although I've heard there are outages around the Cape. Some gas stations sold out of gas yesterday as people stocked up and/or left Cape Cod. Schools all over the Cape were cancelled for today, and some of the schools (like Nauset High School) are being used as
emergency evacuation points.

Frankenstorm is on its way...

Looking out at the calm ocean this morning, it's hard to believe that a giant storm is on its way, barreling toward the East Coast as I type. The local media has nicknamed it "Frankenstorm" as it's about to screw up everyone's Halloween plans.

That's a new thing - the weather service has decided to start officially naming storms so it's easier to hash tag them. But that system hasn't gone into effect yet, so we're still getting the fun, made-up names, like last year's "Snowtober" storm. And now, Frankenstorm. Go ahead, say it. It's fun to say.

Part of me wants to ignore it because it most likely won't mean a thing to us. Last year the schools sent the kids home early one day - before lunch early - because we were supposed to get a big storm. Nothing.

This time my husband even went looking for a generator. We already discussed the pros and cons of different types of water bottles we can stock up with (two of the large poland springs box jugs sprung leaks last time we stocked up.) I need to move the outdoor furniture around so it won't hit any windows.

Really?

I guess I haven't lived through a "real" coastal storm yet. I've been lucky in my years on the Cape. The insurance company keeps telling us that when they raise the rates in preparation for The Big One. I remain skeptical of just how bad a storm could be around here. I mean, it's not Haiti. It's Cape Cod.

And then I look at my sister's experience last year in Killington, another upscale resort community. Her house made it through unscathed, but her road was washed away. As were many of her friends homes, cars and possessions. And the Woodstock Inn (where she works) took forever to recover from the flooding and the mud damage. The state of Vermont is still in the process of recovering, more than a year later.

So maybe I will move the patio furniture, and bring the pumpkins inside. And keep my fingers crossed that the storm goes out to sea instead of crashing on my shore.

Although it does have a cool name.

How about you - Do you live on the East Coast? Are you ready for Frankenstorm?

So many paths...

I've been in a funk for a few days now, and unable to think past it enough to write a new blog post. So instead I'm writing about not being able to write.

I finished the MS I was working on a few weeks back. I went through it for consistency and edits. I wrote a synopsis and a query. And I mailed it out.

Now what?

I feel a little lost, having sent my baby out into the world. It's not my first baby, but a baby nonetheless. Maybe it wasn't ready. Time will tell. In the meantime - in the NOW time - I need to get back to work on another project (or two) and I even have a good start to one... even a *gasp* outline. But. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around moving on. Any tricks? Advice? How do you move on to a new project?

SPEAKING OF MOVING ON...

I need some advice - if anyone has been through a situation like this, please help. I finally got my rights back from Moongypsy Press for my second novel. They went "out of business" almost a year ago but my book has still been up there on Amazon, etc., for sale. How do I get Amazon to take down the book, so that I can eventually re-release it on my own and actually make money on it? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Puppy Tales: The Art of Chasing Seagulls

You would think Puppy would tire of the game. I mean, chase one flock of seagulls and you've chased them all, right? Oh no.

Seagulls are ignorable when they are alone. The dogs barely notice and don't even pick up their pace unless the single bird is within four feet of them. But a whole flock? That's way too exciting to ignore!

Puppy has figured out that the Big Trick - the Art, if you will - to chasing seagulls is to walk away and let them settle back down again. Make them think they won. And then go back and start chasing them into the air all over again!

On the one hand, it's like busy work. You chase them away, they come back again. You chase them away again. Kind of like dusting and vacuuming. Why do it in the first place, since the dust just comes back? Think of that satisfied feeling you get when the woodwork gleams and the room smells all fresh and lemony.  Yeah, it doesn't do it for me either, but it seemed like a good analogy.

Unlike dusting, however, chasing seagulls is apparently lots of fun. Just ask Puppy.

Since the weekend forecast sounds grim, I'm glad the dogs were able to have some beach time this week. Our weekend plans probably include a lot of lazing around the house, and getting the boys ready for their Homecoming dances. How about you? Exciting plans or just chasing seagulls?

Did I Notice Your Book? Blogfest!

The fabulous Ciara Knight and the inimitable Ninja Captain Alex have put together another fun blogfest for us all to enjoy - Today we're playing "Did I Notice Your Book?"

The idea is simple. Choose a book - one you've read or want to read, something you've seen on another blog, Goodreads, or someone else's website. Something that caught your eye or your attention - but you CAN'T tell author that you're featuring their book. The idea is to shout it out on social media until the author notices!

Ninja Captain Alex posted rules:

Only two rules:

1) You can’t post about your own book.

2) The book shouldn’t be on the New York Times or USA Today bestseller list.

This is your chance to shout out about a book that might not have been noticed by others.

So... drum roll please.... the book I'm officially "noticing" for this blogfest was officially released yesterday from Crescent Moon Press by the energetic and fabulous Lynn Rush!

There was a Facebook launch party last night that I took part in - so maybe some of you have already seen this book. But even if you missed the party, definitely DON'T miss this book! The protagonists are 20-somethings in college, and Lynn has tagged it as "New Adult" rather than YA, but it has that same fast-paced feel.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book for review in late September and posted my review on Goodreads, Amazon and HERE on my blog. This is the first book of a planned trilogy, and I'm really looking forward to reading what happens next!

Now tell me... are you playing along in this blogfest? Leave me a comment so I can follow you back to your blog and see what book you chose to notice!

And the Winner is....

Thank you to everyone who left comments to win this paperback (and ebook!) of FAIRYPROOF by Constance Phillips. There were tons of visitors who didn't leave comments - their loss, right?

So in my ultra-unscientific non-Rafflecopter kind of method for this random drawing, I wrote each commenter's name on slips of paper and had my daughter pull the winners for the paperback and ebook...

Congratulations, Adriana! (cue the confetti)  I'll be contacting you to get your snail mail address and get this book to the post office next week!

And for the ebook copy that Constance has donated....

 Congrats to PM Kavanaugh! Constance will be contacting you directly to get your details!

Thanks to all who left comments, and all who visited! And if you didn't win a copy, I still totally recommend picking one up for yourself at B&N or Amazon - it's a totally fun read ;-)