Babies Are Here!

Still out town but had to post baby pics. Emily and Marshall arrived yesterday morning. I'll catch up soon. Promise.

 Dad and babies in delivery room.

We've had a big day.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, dear friends. 

Later today, the hh and I will be heading out of town to await the arrival of our grandbabies. 
I will be posting and visiting blogs soon.

Santa And His Reindeer

It's The Weekend

It's the weekend and it's almost Christmas. Have a good one.

Released Today: Tall, Dark and Undead

It's out.....

 His eyes glowed bright as brimstone. The tips of fangs were visible even under his closed lips. 

“Give me a moment,” he whispered in a hoarse voice.

As I stared, the glow subsided. From the wash of the street light his eyes shone a stormy gray. The tips of the fangs retracted. I walked to him, unafraid. “That’s twice now you’ve saved me.”

“You use up lives quicker than a cat.” His voice had returned to its normal melodious cadence. He watched me approach.

“Thank you, again.” I held out my hand. “I’m Suzanne James.”

The hand that swallowed mine felt cool and hard. “Adrian Caine.”  His touch drew me. His eyes compelled me. My heart beat quickened. My breath grew shallow. I took a step closer then closer yet, my only awareness: his magnetic gaze and the sweet peppermint of his breath on my upturned face. His eyes were stormy as thunderclouds on a dark night. “You conflict me.” He breathed that sweet scent on my face as his head lowered toward mine.

“Friend of yours?”

Cal’s voice startled me and broke the spell I had fallen under. I took a deep breath and a step back. “Yes. Cal Royce, Adrian Caine.”

The men sized each other up. From the expressions on their face, neither was much impressed with the other.

“You should do a better job protecting her, policeman.” Adrian spoke in a soft voice but it carried a sting like a whiplash.

Cal’s head jerked back. His hand tightened around my purse. I grabbed it before the contents spewed out from the force of his grip. “What the hell does that mean and who the hell are you? How did you know I was a detective?”

“Where were you when she was attacked just now?” Adrian countered.

Cal whipped around. “Is that true, Suzanne?”

“Yes.”  I felt a headache coming on. And my eye began to twitch.

Available Nov 28, 2013

http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Dark-and-Undead-ebook/dp/B00DR146TU/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379370444&sr=1-3&keywords=sandra+cox

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tall-dark-and-undead-sandra-cox/1116110460?ean=9781419945373

VBT: Cassie Scot Paranormal Detective and Secreets and Lies

BLURB:

Book One

Cassie Scot: Paranormal Detective

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.

Book Two

Secrets and Lies

Cassie Scot, still stinging from her parents’ betrayal, wants out of the magical world. But it isn’t letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite everything, it looks like she may be the only one who can save them.

To complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her to deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they team up to find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin their hopes for happiness.

Excerpt:

My parents think the longer the name, the more powerful the sorcerer, so they named me Cassandra Morgan Ursula Margaret Scot. You can call me Cassie.

I've been called a lot of things in my life: normal, ordinary, and even a disappointment. After the Harry Potter books came out, a couple of people called me a squib. Since I haven't read them, I have to assume it's a compliment.

Personally, I prefer normal, which is why the sign on my office door reads: Cassie Scot, Normal Detective.

 

You have to understand that around here, when your last name is Scot, people are easily confused. Not only are my parents powerful practitioners, but I have six talented brothers and sisters. Plus, my family hasn't always been known for its subtlety. When weird stuff happens around here, the people who are willing to believe in magic are prone to suspect the Scots.

The day I opened for business I got a call from an old woman who swore her cat was possessed by the devil. She also swore she'd read my web site, which clearly stated the types of work I did and did not do. Exorcisms were on the No list, and while I hadn't specified pet exorcisms, I would have thought it was implicit.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Award-winning author Christine Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a touch of the strange or unusual. She became a “serious” writer in 2003, after attending a boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly afterward, then penned The Immortality Virus, which won two awards. Expect many more titles by this up-and-coming author.

Website: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

Blog: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?page_id=200

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030664.Christine_Amsden

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/117845642477854934607/posts

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e43430

Enter to win a $50 Amazon or BN

Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My

Vanilla Brandy, err Vanilla Extract

Greetings everyone, yes it is Monday, but it's getting closer and closer to the holidays where we'll be home even on Mondays.
My Vanilla Extract is bottled and ready to go.  I ordered the bottles and labels on line. Next year I'm going to start in July so those beans can get good and saturated, and my vanilla will smell more like extract and less like brandy:) I'm giving them out with a Christmas spatula and chocolate covered pretzel.

Babies are still in holding pattern, which is just fine with the hh since he is in the middle of giving and grading finals. I kept the ceramic planters from when my babies were born and I'm recycling them for the next generation.  I took the planters to the local florist and had them put plants in them and when our little peas in the pod decide to make their entrance I'll take them to the hospital and give to the DIL.  It's hard to tell from the picture but the one plant is a pink Christmas Cactus.

But enough about me. How was your weekend? Wondrous? Of course, it was.

Friday The 13th

Are you superstitious?

The good news is it's Friday.

The bad news is it's The Thirteenth.

~*~
On Sale:
99 cents at Amazon

 http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Bay-Hunter-Sandra-Cox-ebook/dp/B005BCODIM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1386983701&sr=8-5&keywords=sandra+cox

You Shall Not Pass, Dog

VBT: King of Bad

With us today is Kai Strand talking about: Good vs Bad. Not Always A Clear Choice

I’m going to ask you to do some imagining with me. Picturing scenarios in your head for the purposes of illustrating a point.

Imagine if you will, an epic traffic pile up on a freeway. An oil tanker has tipped on its side and is spewing its contents. The river of gasoline is headed straight for the pile of cars that are already aflame. The truck’s driver hit his head and is out cold, slumped over the steering wheel. (The cab is still upright, while the tank is on its side. We must keep this simple-ish). How do you react?

GOOD person: Rushes forward, throws open the truck’s door, climbs in, unbuckles the unconscious person and drags him clear just as the trail of gasoline ignites and a line of flame zips backward to blow the tanker sky high.

BAD person: Rushes for truck, throws open door, climbs in, rifles through driver’s pockets for wallet. Repeats process with any other unconscious driver in the pile up not already engulfed in flames. Walks away from incident with $140.00.

Now, imagine with me a crowd of revelers pouring out of a sports arena after their team won its first championship in 100 years. How do you react?

BAD person: Insights riot, sets trashcans on fire, tips over cop cars, breaks car windows. Shouts their team’s name prefaced by a cuss word. So proud of their actions, they grin into the news cameras.

GOOD person: gets the heck out of there. Fast.

Okay, let’s go back to that first scenario and put yourself in the BAD person’s position. But first let me give you a little background. BAD person in on the freeway in the first place because she got a call that her son fell off the jungle gym on the playground and cracked his head open. He was rushed to the hospital, where she was headed when the multi-car pile up happened in front of her. She doesn’t have health insurance and only a part time temp job that pays barely more than minimum wage. She’s already gotten a disconnect notice from the electric company and she’s two weeks behind paying rent. BAD person might have made a bad decision to steal money, but she saw an opportunity that may help pay the hospital bill. Is she a bad person or is she a person reacting to bad circumstances?

Now, let’s move on to the second scenario. Put yourself in BAD person’s position. Or better yet, don’t. That person is simply unlawful and disrespectful.

As you can see, sometimes people are in a victim mentality, making decisions with what little opportunity they have and other times a person is just bad. However, in both circumstances, you likely don’t have the entire story in order to make that determination.

Jeff Mean is King of Bad. But don’t judge him until you’ve read his entire story.

BLURB:

    Jeff Mean would rather set fires than follow rules or observe curfew. He wears his bad boy image like a favorite old hoodie; that is until he learns he has superpowers and is recruited by Super Villain Academy – where you learn to be good at being bad. In a school where one kid can evaporate all the water from your body and the girl you hang around with can perform psychic sex in your head, bad takes on a whole new meaning. Jeff wonders if he’s bad enough for SVA.

    He may never find out. Classmates vilify him when he develops good manners. Then he’s kidnapped by those closest to him and left to wonder who is good and who is bad. His rescue is the climactic episode that balances good and evil in the super world. The catalyst – the girl he’s crushing on. A girlfriend and balancing the Supers is good, right? Or is it…bad?

Excerpt:

The Amazon

Sitting front and center in math class the next morning was the Amazon. Jeff almost stumbled when he saw her. Even folded into a standard classroom desk, her body went on and on. Her olive skin glowed under the fluorescent lights. Miles of wavy sable locks tumbled to her waist. A short skirt revealed a never-ending expanse of legs gracefully wrapped together under the desk. They seemed indecent. Jeff wasn’t attracted to her, per se, but she intrigued him. And scared him to death.

Amber colored eyes gleamed when they met his. She looked him over from head to toe and a half smile curved her full lips. Jeff fought the urge to scurry past and with all the casual aloofness he could muster, he sauntered to his desk at the back of the room. He heaved a loud mental sigh when he was safely behind her. He might understand Pyro’s claim that something wasn’t right about the Amazon. Though he doubted that he and Pyro were referring to the same thing.

To Jeff’s dismay, the math teacher had the Amazon introduce herself to the class. She stood at the front and stared pointedly at Jeff most of the time. When she spoke he groaned. Her voice was warmed butter rum—soothing, comforting and intoxicating. Jeff made the mistake of glancing at her while she spoke about her home in northern Italy. As soon as they made eye contact, Jeff was transfixed. Though she continued to speak aloud to the class she also spoke directly to Jeff in his mind. It wasn’t in a language that Jeff understood, but he knew she was hypnotizing him.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

When the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died, the end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for younger children Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Visit Kai’s website, www.kaistrand.com, to browse her books, download companion materials or to find all her online haunts.

You can usually find Kai online at Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KaiStrandAuthor

or Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaiStrand

Buy it: 

Publisher:

http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1125

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DQGA6MW/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1N5D669JWJ92YG79QJ78&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

Barnes and Noble: 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-of-bad-super-villian-academy-book-1-kai-strand/1115915105?ean=2940016426198

Add it to Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18080275-king-of-bad

Kai will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC plus a signed book mark to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour (International).
Tour dates can be found here:   http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/09/virtual-book-tour-king-of-bad-by-kai.html

 Rafflecopter code for entries: 

 http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e650cb11/

The Trees Are Up

Here's The Tree

What were you expecting for a tree topper? A star? Santa Claus? :)

  I inherited Mickey from my mom.

 This is the tree in the bedroom. It's hard to tell much about it, but it's fiber optics.

I have a weakness for fiber optics;)

 This is in the guest room. Our daughter made it

when she was in college. Of course, her lights were a bit  more

uniform looking than the way I've got them scattered on the table.

So blogger buds, are you ready for Christmas? Have you been naughty or nice? It's almost time for Santa.

 

Oh and by the way if you want to see a really fun and creative Christmas tree, check out Sonia's pink tree.

http://hollyhocksandsequins.blogspot.com/.

Grandbabies For Christmas

No, it hasn't happened yet, but we are expecting news any day. Our little peas in the pod are turning into little ponies. The girl weighs nearly six pounds and the boy is five pounds three ounces. None of us think its going to be much longer. And I'm certain poor mom is hoping its going to be sooner than later. Since we think they'll be here for Christmas I picked up a couple of things...

i

It's The Weekend

Enjoy it...

Big Giveaway At Pat Hatt's

To celebrate 1000 posts, Pat is giving away $100.00 Amazon card. He's done a truly creative video too that's all kinds of fun. If you haven't been there yet, pit stop by and enter . You may be the winner. Here's the addie: http://rhymetime24.blogspot.com/
While you're there you might want to check out some of his books.

VBT: Seventeen

BLURB:  

Most of the world's seventeen billion people are unconscious, perpetually serving their employers as part of massive brain trusts. The ecosystem has collapsed, and corporations control all of the world's resources and governments. A bedraggled alcoholic known as the Prophet predicts nineteen year-old waitress Eadie will lead a revolution, but how can she prevail when hunted by a giant corporation and the Federal Angels it directs?

EXCERPT:

 The mist was clearing. Brian found himself standing in the street outside the bar he had entered earlier. Half a dozen battered and bleeding men stood surrounding him, and at least as many more lay on the gravel, seriously wounded or out cold.

The attack had come from somewhere in the mist, from all directions at once. His head and torso ached and throbbed. He locked his shaking knees to keep them from buckling. Every muscle in his body seemed to be lengthening, pouring downward like water. His eyelids drooped.

One of the standing men took a step toward him, fists raised. Brian tried to turn away from him, his arm flopping behind his back like a fish.

Behind his back! His eyes opened a little wider. He straightened and forced his arm to function, whipping out his revolver and aiming it around at the circle of attackers.

He tried to pull back the hammer but too many of his knuckles were broken. He ended up simply pointing it at the closest one, who backed away cautiously. Once past him, Brian walked backwards, still aiming the gun as long as he could see them. Then he turned, moving as fast as he could manage, back toward Dok’s place.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Mark D. Diehl writes novels about power dynamics and the way people and organizations influence each other. He believes that obedience and conformity are becoming humanity’s most important survival skills, and that we are thus evolving into a corporate species.

Diehl has: been homeless in Japan, practiced law with a major multinational firm in Chicago, studied in Singapore, fled South Korea as a fugitive, and been stranded in Hong Kong.

After spending most of his youth running around with hoods and thugs, he eventually earned his doctorate in law at the University of Iowa and did graduate work in creative writing at the University of Chicago. He currently lives and writes in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Author’s Website: http://www.markddiehl.com

RAFFLECOPTER  

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Enter to win a $50 Amazon or BN gift certificate.