Thankful Thursday post for November 30, 2023

 

This has been such a weird week. I guess the first thing I'm grateful for is that my son and his family had a great trip to Costa Rica last week (okay, they had some rain. But they stayed in a rainforest, so what would you expect?) and returned home safely. AND without their vehicle getting broken into or stolen--which happened on two other trips they took this year. 

I got to spend some time with my grandson since they've been back--that's always a blessing. And my husband and I took a short day trip to Boerne, Texas to see all the Christmas decorations. I'm guessing my fictional Texas small town--Heartwood--will be a very Christmasy kind of place. I mean, aside from its very Christmasy appearance in Christmas Angel.

Speaking of Christmas Angel. I'm thankful that I got all the files loaded ahead of deadline. I'm thankful that I found my Christmas dishes (while I was looking for the Thanksgiving dishes last week!) without any trouble. Now, if I can just figure out where we put the decorations...

Mostly, I'm happy that I get to listen to the Christmas Angel playlist I made. I haven't gotten a chance to sync all the songs to the story, yet, so I mostly listen to it on shuffle, but it's a nice collection.

Wine Wednesday: Party in a Glass!

 

Taking a little departure from my usual wine post today because last week's holiday reminded me of something. This year was the first year in almost a decade that I got to cook Thanksgiving dinner in my own kitchen. And it reminded me that, in the past, my daughter and I would crack out the mimosas at about the same time as we started pre-heating the oven. We are not a canned cranberry sauce family--although I grew up with the stuff and at last a few of my siblings still favor it. I used to make candied cranberries from an old Gourmet Magazine recipe--and that's still probably the prettiest iteration. But by the late nineties I was already experimenting with raw cranberries and nowadays, that's all I make. Recipe to follow.

At some point, I began adding a spoonful of cranberry to my mimosa--which caught on with my sister, who began adding raspberries, as well. At some point during the Thanksgiving (or Christmas, or New Year's Eve and/or Day) cook-a-thon, you begin not feeling the orange juice and switch to plain bubbly. But it's festive! You're in a holiday mood! You WANT those dancing bits of pink and white sweet/tart confetti dancing in your glass!

And it pairs well with everything. Full disclosure. I was a bit congested last week, so I'm not going to comment on the wine, which I bought for reasons other than "OMG! This is the best-tasting sparkling wine ever!"  It's probably not. I bought it because I like to think of myself as a locavore...or whatever the equivalent is for people who like to "drink local" which makes it sound like I  have a favorite bar. I don't. And this was the only domestic bubbly available.

I did use fresh squeezed orange juice, which made up for a lot. And, of course, the cranberry "sauce". 

The recipe couldn't be simpler. Cut an orange into eighths. I like mandarins, but anything other than really thick-skinned navel oranges will do. Put the orange pieces into a blender and pulse for a bit. Then add a bag of cranberries and pulse some more, until you have confetti sized pieces. Pour into a bowl, add as much sugar as you want, and half a pomegranate's worth of arils. I used to say the pomegranate was optional. And you CAN leave them out if you want, but WHY???

Anyway, that's it. It's crisp, it's light, it's refreshing. Add a spoon to your glass and enjoy. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Giving Tuesday ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're reminded that Today is Giving Tuesday and asked to feature one of our favorite charities and why it’s important to us.

Oh, this is another hard one. There are so many worthy causes! I've picked the PAWS Shelter of Central Texas because it's local, which means I might have the ability to volunteer there in the future, as well. And because it benefits animals--having lost my dog this past summer, that's really close to my heart, atm. AND, finally, they're actually having a Giving Tuesday fundraising event, so I want to shine a little attention on that. You can check that out here:

https://pawsshelter.org/givingtuesday/

Now, hop on over to Leslie Hachtel's page to learn about one of her favorite charities. And don't forget to check out her new book, Come Back to Me.

What would you do if you could go back in time to find your soulmate? 

For Skye Blaine, the answer is clear: she would do whatever it takes to be with the one she loves. 

Follow her as she travels through time in search of her heart's desire, finding that the path to true love is never easy, but always worth it. Will she find her happy ending? 

This page-turning story of love, sacrifice, and courage is sure to captivate and inspire. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey through time!

https://amzn.to/3thW8BR

One Week Until Release Day!

 

Christmas Angel
(An Angels in the Afterlife story)

 Special Price. Now only $0.99!

​

Being fully transparent is good for a relationship, right? Well, maybe not when it’s literal.

 

Christmas Angel is a second-chance, holiday romance with a celestial twist. Probationary angel Jake Hennessy's been sent back to earth to mend fences with his ex. Or has he? Certainly Tony doesn’t seem to think that's the case.

 

Tony DiCecco might have ninety-nine problems—and then some—between dealing with his meddlesome family AND running the family business (a Christmas tree farm in rural Texas) but he's pretty sure that playing catch-up with his ex-husband isn’t supposed to be one of them.

And what would even be the point? It’s hard to imagine what kind of future the two of them could have when one of them is alive and the other...isn't.

 

Now Available for Pre-Order!

 https://www.books2read.com/Christmas-Angel

Movie Monday: Spirited

Today I'm doing something a little different, I'm posting about a holiday movie! I love all the cheesy Christmas movies. I love writing cheesy Christmas books that I totally want to see turned into Christmas movies...okay, a lot of them are HOT menages, so...I'm guessing Hallmark won't be optioning them any time soon, but Christmas Angel turned out so unexpectedly sweet that...it is not outside the realm of possibility. 

However, that's not what this post is about. It's about last year's Apple Original movie, Spirited. It's from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the same musical writing team that gave us LaLa Land and The Greatest Showman--and I KNEW IT from the first number--their sound is unmistakable. But even before that, I fell in love with this rehearsal tape:

The movie is cute, the songs are catchy. The actors are...not especially noted for their singing and dancing, but they throw themselves into their performances and are such good sports that I don't care. They're fun to watch, regardless. And I was not a big Will Ferrell fan going into this film! 

The movie has been criticized for not having improved upon earlier versions of the story. Which is the silliest criticism I can imagine. No one's looking for a Christmas movie to be the be all and end all of holiday movies. We just want it to be magical and recognizable. Or, at least, that's MY opinion. YMMV, I suppose.

If you--like me--love all the usual tropes, you'll probably love this. If you're looking for something entirely different...well, good luck finding it, I guess?

I rate this movie 4.5 very enthusiastic stars. 

 

Thankful Thursday post: Special Thanksgiving 2023 Edition

 Well it's Thanksgiving Day here in the states, and I'm feeling extra grateful. I'm grateful for my family--my son, my daughter, my daughter in law, my grandson, my husband--this is in no particular order, btw--my siblings, my sisters and brothers in law, my nieces and nephews, their friends and significant others, and my adorable, brand new grand nephew. I'm very thankful for my friends--my writing friends, and my online friends, the new friends I've made in Texas and the old friends I haven't seen in awhile.

I'm grateful that I got to have my beloved dog in my life for twelve and a half years and still devastated that I lost him this year. 

I'm very thankful that I FINISHED A BOOK today. At least I'm pretty sure the final re-write of Christmas Angel is complete. If anyone would care to do a last minute beta read/ARC read and let me know what they think by early next week, I'd be very, extremely grateful!

I''m thankful for how well it came out too, btw. At least I think it did? Fingers crossed I'm not deluding myself.

I'm very grateful that the Lone Star Literary Life organization exists and wants to help promote it! 

Oh, and I'm also thankful that I  have a new book lined up to start working on as soon as I'm convinced I can call this one DONE. 

I''m thankful that today I got to make Thanksgiving dinner in my own home for the first time since 2016. Thanksgiving and New Year/NYE are my favorite holidays to cook so, this was a nice treat. 

I'm thankful for all the modern conveniences that make life easier for all of us. And I think I'm grateful that I don't know what the future holds because there are so many doomsayers in the world right now and I'm thankful that they don't actually know what'll happen, either. But I plan on focusing on the positive for as long as I can, because at least that way I'm not wasting my time worrying about things I can't change or do anything about and that might not ever happen anyway.

I'm thankful for good health and a comfortable home, and a kick-ass car, and the road trip we took in September to the beach, because I've missed that...okay, I  still do. A bay inside a gulf is NOT the ocean, but hey, it's peaceful and you can swim, so I'll take it. 

I'm thankful for wine and wineries and breweries. Also coffee and chocolate. And, apparently, PB&J sandwiches because my family's entire Thanksgiving Day chat was hijacked by talk of PB&J.

I'm thankful for books. I'm thankful for the authors who write the books I love to read and I'm thankful for the readers who read and love my books, too. And I think that's most of it, so Imma stop there. 

Tomorrow, I'll likely be most grateful for leftovers because Thanksgiving dinner always tastes better the next day. 

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Wine Wednesday: Ménage à Trois Winemakers Red Blend 2021

 

Ah, Ménage à Trois. It's not a super pricey brand but I have a special fondness for it. The Folie à Deux winery used to have a tasting room right on Highway 29, just outside of St. Helena. And it was one of the favorite Napa winery experiences. I mean...they're kind of all my favorites, in one way or another, but Folie à Deux was fun! It was unpretentious in a way that reminded me of early Paso Robles. 

The wine is fun, too. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Granted, it's not as nuts as Apothic, for example, with its red wine and coffee blend (which, sure, that sounds like something I'd like, but OMG--no, no, NO!). But it goes out on plenty of questionable limbs. Exotic White? Hot Pink Rosé? Silk?

Silk is supposed to be soft, by the way. And it is. Far too much so, for my tastes. Midnight is better, in my opinion, and I happen to have a bottle of it on hand, so...more about that, later.

Today, however, I'm writing about the 2021 Winemakers Red Blend. It's a classic Ménage à Trois red wine. A  very jammy blending of Cabernet, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Three wines--hence the Ménage à Trois label. It took me SO DAMN LONG to make that connection! It's like California in a glass. Jammy, fruit forward, a little floral on the nose, the tannins are there, but are balanced by the Merlot. It's not a particularly noteworthy wine, you're probably not going to sit there and savor every sip. But, on the other hand, do you really want (or need) every glass of wine to be a religious experience? 

This is a very nice, very drinkable every day red wine. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

Side note:  Last time I was in Napa, the tasting room there had closed. I believe they've relocated to Sonoma now. 

My favorite visit there was when Kelly Jamieson came for a visit and we toured the valley (with a stay in Calistoga, at the Hot Springs hotel). Folie à Deux was our first stop and it was perfect. SO MANY plot bunnies! Eventually, I'll get to talk all about that, as well. Soon, I hope. But we're mostly waiting on ME, so...I need to stop whining about that and get back to work!

Romance Writers Weekly ~ TV Shows and Movies ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're tasked with answering the question, "What TV shows or movies have you seen that fit within your sub-genre of romance?"

Easiest question ever. I have a much harder time listing books that fit my weird, niche. Movies and TV, on the other hand? No problem!

Practical Magic, Field of Dreams, The Lake House, Groundhog Day, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, The Gilmore Girls, Good Omens, Christmas Every Day, Feels Like Heaven, A Heavenly Christmas, Spirited, and any magical Hallmark Christmas movie ever.

I've been thinking a lot about my brand these last few months and what I write tends to fall into the cozy, magical, romance category. Which, sadly, does not actually exist as a category at this time. Although it should. I like writing long, interconnected series with big ensemble casts. I like writing about friends and multi-generational families. And I love writing holiday stories, especially Christmas stories, although no matter how hard I try, there never seems to be ENOUGH Christmas in them. I'm hoping Christmas Angel (releasing December 5) will change that. We'll see.

Also, it's release day for Sound of a Voice That is Still--an angsty, romantic suspense story with just a touch of woo. Check it out below!

Now, hop on over to Leslie Hachtel's page to learn about some of her supporting characters. And don't forget to check out her NEW book, Come Back to Me.

What would you do if you could go back in time to find your soulmate? 

For Skye Blaine, the answer is clear: she would do whatever it takes to be with the one she loves. 

Follow her as she travels through time in search of her heart's desire, finding that the path to true love is never easy, but always worth it. Will she find her happy ending? 

This page-turning story of love, sacrifice, and courage is sure to captivate and inspire. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey through time!

https://amzn.to/3thW8BR

Release Day!

 

Sound of a Voice That is Still
(Oberon, Book 3)

 

 

In the depths of winter, Ryan and Siobhan will have to make a choice: help each other heal...or die trying.

 

 

Now Available!

 https://www.books2read.com/SoundVoice

Music Monday: Simple Gifts William Coulter and Barry Phillips

 

I absolutely love this album of Shaker music. I found it at a time when I was very involved with the Quakers and I find it so calming. It puts me in a place of total peace and serenity. And gratitude--making it perfect for Thanksgiving week!

In fact, I used to listen to it every Thanksgiving while I was preparing dinner for my family. I might have to try that again this week! 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. And happy listening!

Thankful Thursday post for November 16, 2023

 

My list is going to be fairly short this week--reason being I have my grandson home with me today. He has a fever. I'm thinking it might be new teeth coming in? Possibly? Since he isn't complaining about anything else and he is of an age where losing baby teeth and growing new molars is to be expected.

I am thankful that I grew up with my grandmother--an RN--living with us. I don't stress over illnesses and I always feel like I know what to do when someone's sick, even though I do realize that Osmosis probably can't compete with years of actual medical training. Probably. I could also be channeling her, I suppose. Okay, that's mostly a joke.

BUT a funny thing did happen this morning when I was looking for a thermometer which I'm pretty sure I have. If you don't know me well, you might not realize how often I end up moving and how intensely disruptive I find it. I'm not fantastically organized. I've lost count of how many time I've gone to look for something only to realize I'm in a different house now and have no idea even where to look for it.

Which is why I was so certain I'd put the new thermometer in one of the drawers in my mother's Welsh Cabinet (China cabinet? Hutch? Dresser? Take your pick! It was hers and that's what she called it!) for safekeeping. 

I opened the drawer, removed the box that was right on top and proceeded to search through the drawer with no luck, and with the dawning recognition that I really didn't have any recollection of having ever put the thermometer in that particular drawer. So--check someplace else, right? Except, as I was replacing the box I'd taken out in the beginning, I happened to glance at the box and...well. Apparently it contained a thermometer. 

From the packaging, it appears to have been purchased in the 1970s at Genovese's Drug Store in Fort Lee, New Jersey. And I have no recollection of having put it in that drawer.

So...I'm thankful for time traveling thermometers, for Moms and Grandmothers, for magic (which this clearly was!) and medicine and for good health! Because you can never have enough of that!

I'm also thankful for how well the new Christmas Angel re-writes are coming along. It's going to be SO CUTE! I'm thankful for My husband whose birthday was Monday. For my wonderful kids who've been particularly inspirational this week. And for anyone reading this! 

And with Thanksgiving next week, I'm thankful for Thanksgiving songs like this one:

Wine Wednesday: Wine For the People's Dandy Rosé

 Rosé

Today's wine is from Texas, made from 100% Texas grapes. And I think I've found my wine philosophy twin...well, except she's a sommelier with years and years of experience and I'm not. Rae Wilson is all about the terroir (Quote: "Without a sense of place for wine, I could be doing anything." Yes! Exactly! Thank you!) and makes a lovely dry Rosé. 

The reason she started making wine was because it's (still!) nearly impossible to find local Rosés that are not too sweet (Preach, sister!). And also because, "The longer I lived here the more  [Rosé] I was drinking...and so I thought, this should be our Hill Country water."

All of which I completely endorse. I mean, sweet wine has its place...but that place is maybe in a bakery or on a dessert table, or occasionally at brunch. 

But I digress. Dandy Rosé is one of those crisp, gentle wines that you could (entirely too easily) drink like water. The fruit flavor is there, but elusive--this is NOT a fruit forward wine. Maybe dried peach and lemon zest? With a hint of minerality, maybe a hint of smoke. It's Texas. What can I say?

It was perfect with the "rustic fondue" I'd ordered at Dos Olivos in Buda. NB: Dos Olivos used to be known as Los Olivos and still is on most maps (and on some menu items) so...don't get confused like I did.

What IS a "rustic fondue" you ask? Well, for many people, fondue = cheese. And, for the good folks at Dos Olivos, this clearly holds true. And, since this is Texas, cheese = queso. So...basically, you're presented with a mason jar full of hot, smoky queso, that's been buried under a thick layer of jalapeño-raspberry preserves. And into which you dip triangles of toasted Naan bread. OR if you're lucky enough to be sharing your meal with someone who's ordered the (also quite delicious) LO Burger (LO = Los Olivos. See what I mean?) and they're willing to share, you can also drip some fondue onto a bite of burger and find yourself in a state of total foodie bliss. 

Anyway...the wine stood up to all those strong flavors and complemented them without overpowering them--or being overpowered. A minor enological miracle, IMO. And yes, I'll probably be drinking a lot of it next summer. Or, you know...now. Now's good, too. Thanksgiving's nearly here and I bet it would be amazing with turkey. 

Romance Writers Weekly ~ Book Club Discussion ~ #LoveChatWrite

 This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked to "Write a list of discussion topics/questions for a book club reading one of your stories."

Wow. Tall order. But, okay. Here's a list of questions for Sound of a Voice That is Still which releases November 21--that's NEXT WEEK!

List of Book Club Discussion Questions for Sound of a Voice That is Still

 

1.     What was your favorite part of the book?

 

2.     What was your least favorite part? (No, you can’t say the dog. Well, you can, of course, but it’s a bit of a cop-out. Try harder!)

 

3.     What did you think of the title—did it relate to what happened in the book?  Did you think it had any other significance?

 

4.     Knowing that the title of the fifth book is “Touch of a Vanished Hand,” what and/or who do you think that story might be about?

 

5.     Can you compare and contrast Ryan and Siobhan’s relationship to that of Scout and Nick?  

 

6.     If you were making a movie of this book, who would you cast in the lead roles?

 

7.     If you listened to the playlist, what songs resonated most for you?

 

8.     All of the couples had rather eventful Valentine’s Days. Whose story did you find the most compelling?

 

9.     Most of the characters faced a crisis toward the end of the book. Whose story had the most surprising resolution? 

 

10.  Were you surprised to learn the villain’s identity? Did you guess it ahead of time?

 

11.  Was there anyone else who you suspected of being the villain?

 

12.  What do you think happens after the ending? What do Ryan and Siobhan need to do/find/realize in order to move from HFN to HEA?

Now, hop on over to Brenda Margriet's page to read her list. And don't forget to check out her NEW book, A Promise of Frost.

☃🤩 The Promise of Frost 🎅🎄

A Seasoned – and Seasonal – Novella

An adventurous kitten, a curious dog, and a matchmaking eight-year-old guarantee this will be a holiday to remember.

Luca Tannon’s new neighbour is a sexy but surly single dad. Which is all for the best since she’s focussed on reclaiming her life after a toxic long-term relationship.

Caleb Frost won’t let anything distract him from ensuring his son’s first Christmas as the child of divorced parents is perfect. And that includes the irritatingly intriguing woman living next door.

Everything is going as planned…until it’s not.

(Single Dad, Gender Role Reversal, Christmas/New Years, Neighbours to Lovers, Steamy, Slow Burn, Open Door. Heroine is 32, Hero is 41)

https://books2read.com/PromiseOfFrost

Just three weeks to go!

 

Christmas Angel
An Angels in the Afterlife Christmas Story

 

 Being fully transparent is good for a relationship, right? Well, maybe not when it’s literal!

 

Christmas Angel is a second-chance, holiday romance with a celestial twist. Probationary angel Jake Hennessy's been sent back to earth to mend fences with his ex. Or has he? Certainly Tony doesn’t seem to think that's the case. 

 

Tony DiCecco might have ninety-nine problems—and then some—between dealing with his meddlesome family AND running the family business (a Christmas tree farm in rural Texas) but he's pretty sure that playing catch-up with his ex-husband isn’t supposed to be one of them. 

 

And what would even be the point? It’s hard to imagine what kind of future the two of them could have when one of them is alive and the other...isn't.

 

 

Now Available for Pre-order!

 https://www.books2read.com/Christmas-Angel