Calendar of Events

I'm back....
Whew, the holidays have been busy. No doubt for you too.
24th: Our anniversary
Ordered in, exchanged gifts and listened to Christmas music. Nice:)
25th: Christmas
Served Christmas lunch and exchanged gifts with the fam.
26th: The Twins 2nd Bday.
Had twenty-some-odd people over and was awash in carnage.
27th: Exchange day for presents that didn't fit.
Customer service in department stores has just about gasped its last breath.
Most of my gifts came without receipts. All I wanted was exchanges, no returns, but even that was exhausting. Anthropologie was the easiest to deal with. You just show some form of identification and make your exchange. Track N Trail was fine. Though I did have the receipt for this one, so that helped. I'm a Belkie girl but Belks was a bit of a disappointment. I didn't have the receipt or the tags so that's a definite ding, but still I just wanted to exchange sizes for the exact item. I know clerking isn't a fun job on the day after Christmas but a couple of the clerks were less than cordial. One in particular. Even though I was making the exact exchange for a different size, I had to run back to the other end of the store and get the exact size I was exchanging or she'd have to call her manager for approval, which would have been easier. The good news: it's in the rear view mirror now:)
28th: UHaul Day
The twins made such a haul between Christmas and their birthday, we had to load up the RAV with toys and follow their parents home:)
29th and Today:

What's your days been like while I've been gone, blogster buds? 
Isn't this weather something? Hope you aren't in the rain or snow band. Flood watch here.
12:30 p.m.  Just upped to flash flood warning. 
3:30 p.m. It's stopped raining. Whew.

Merry Christmas

May Your Day Be Filled With Wonder

Merry Christmas, Buds

Christmas Eve

Ready or not, Christmas is nearly here. Today is our thirty-ninth anniversary. Third Generation married on Christmas Eve. Last year we ordered out. It was actually nicer than going to a restaurant, more cozy, so I imagine we'll do that again, then  exchange our stockings and gifts, and watch Christmas movies. The fam will be in tomorrow. The day after Christmas is the twins second birthday and we'll be partying at our house.  All kinds of fun stuff coming up. I'll be here tomorrow to wish you a happy Christmas, but not sure when I'll be back next week. Whether you are staying home or traveling, be safe and have the best holiday ever.

No Christmas Spirit

Have you been following Pharma CEO Martin Shkreli? He's the CEO who took a  $13.50 pill for HIV and raised it to $750 a pop, over a 5000% increase. He's heading to jail for alleged securities fraud.  I can't think of a better place for him.

http://news.yahoo.com/pharma-ceo-martin-shkreli-resigns-being-charged-fraud-185906201--abc-news-topstories.html;_ylt=AwrBT8hI03VWUEMAfAVXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--

Monday

Four more days till Christmas.....
What did everyone do this weekend? Shop? Wrap? Bake cookies? Plan your dinner?
We've signed up for Prime so we watched the Bosch series. Has anyone seen that? Titus Welliver does a fantastic job of playing Bosch.
We also rented Jurassic World. The hh thought it was over the top. Can you imagine? grin. I liked it :) (Spoiler Alert) The raptors protected their trainer against the big bad part-raptor monster. Warmed the cockles of my heart. Whatever cockles are. Anyway I enjoyed it.
Sometime this week we are heading for Star Wars. Have you seen it yet? Can't wait.

Friday and Puzzles

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Notice anything unusual in this picture? How many ducks do you see?

Be Careful Who You Send That Text To

Have you ever sent a text to the wrong person? Responding to the last text you've received instead of the person you meant to text? I sent a text, meant for a friend,  to my out-of-state brother inviting him to lunch. He replied he thought I'd probably sent it to him in error, though he'd love to have lunch. He then proceeded to tell me about a text he had sent to a buddy thinking he was sending it to his wife. Please keep in mind, my brother and his friends are manly men. grin. Anyway he texted that he'd enjoyed their morning and that he loved her. And his friend emailed back that he thought that the text had probably been sent to him in error but that he loved him too:) 

Merry Tuesday

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I've got nothing today, other than Merry Tuesday, Blogster Buds.

Christmas Check List

Christmas Check List

Outside Lights Up X

Tree Up   X

Presents Wrapped ___

Have you finished your check list?

Friday

And, of course, a steaming cup of tea for our tea-drinking friends.  Have a great weekend, buds.

No One Responds As Expected

Good morning, Blogster Buds. While I love this picture, I'm happy to say the weather is temperate and there's none of that pretty white stuff on the ground.

I had an extremely strange day awhile back. The stars were definitely not aligned. We've been remodeling. One of the workers, while his work is extremely good, lost all points when he yelled at one of my cats.  Really? Disrespect my cats, disrespect me. Obviously not a cat person.  And then....we went out to eat and I asked for biscuits. The waitress's reply: She didn't know whether she could bring any or not. She was awfully busy. I had to laugh. It was such an odd response. Have you had any days lately, where no one responds as expected?

Mockingjay Part 2

Of all the movies, this one was probably the darkest and most emotional. It was very well done, all the actors delivered and it did a good job of following the storyline.  Did you see it and if so, did you like it?

Christmas Shopping

Well, it's official, we started our Christmas shopping Friday. Pretty much got the hh taken care of...notice I say pretty much:) Considering it was a Friday night in December the mall just wasn't that crowded. Freaky huh? I'm assuming online shopping has a lot to do with it. Remember the days before online shopping and the recession? You had to be primed with caffeine, vitamins and wear protective gear, because if you wanted to actually make it to a specific rack of clothing or get to the toy aisle you had to be prepared for evasive action and defensive maneuvers.  Ah, the good ole days.
So have you started your shopping or are you one of those disgusting, err efficient, individuals that's already done?

~*~

Last Day: Vampire Island  is ninety-nine cents at Amazon .

Friday

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Enjoy It, Blogster Buds

Cats, Christmas and Romance

With us today is my good friend and romantic suspense writer extraordinaire Mae Clair to tell us about her new release. There just happens to be a cat in her story. I ask you, is she at the right blog or what? Lets find out what Food For Poe is about.

Cats, Christmas, and Romance by Mae Clair

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is looming just around the corner. I have no complaints though, because Christmas is my favorite holiday. Not only do I enjoy December 25^th and Christmas Eve, but I love the entire month of December. It’s like one long holiday with all the merriment, festivities, and spirit of goodwill that leads up to that very special day. I’m a Christmas sap.

So it stands to reason I’d eventually get around to writing a Christmas story.

Those who know me also know there are two things (other than writing) I’m passionate about: folklore and cats. When it came time to dream up a Christmas story, I decided to weave both elements into the tale. The result is FOOD FOR POE, a short Christmas novella that is also a tale of sweet romance, twined with the paranormal, and even a wee smidgen of horror (just a smidge, I promise!).

Take a look:

BLURB:
When a blizzard strands Quinn Easterly at a handsome stranger's house on Christmas Eve, she doesn't realize her newly adopted cat, Poe, is the catalyst responsible for bringing them together.

Breck Lansing gave up on relationships after his wife, unable to cope with their daughter’s illness, left him. But the pretty blonde he rescues from a snowstorm has him rethinking his stance—especially when Quinn’s arrival coincides with a dramatic change in Sophie’s health.

Unfortunately, that change also attracts something only whispered about in folklore. Together, Quinn and Breck must defeat a sinister creature intent on claiming the ultimate payment.

Warning: A clever black cat, Christmas magic and paranormal trouble

~*~

I’m happy to announce that FOOD FOR POE has just released. YAY! In celebration of the holidays, you can grab a copy for $.99 at Amazon. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a FREE Kindle Reading App for your PC, MAC, iPad, iPhone, Android or tablet here. Cats and Christmas. What could be better? J

Merry Pre-Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Mae Clair Bio
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back.  Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
Discover more about Mae on her website and blog at MaeClair.net
Sign up for Mae’s newsletter here

You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:

Website

Blog

Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+

Facebook Author Page

Amazon Author Page

Kensington Books Author Page
Goodreads  

Pinterest

Newsletter Sign-Up

Purchase FOOD FOR POE from Amazon

IWSG Wednesday

'It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic.'

Today's theme: Writers...We're just like rabbits

With the advent of self-publishing, we've become a dime a dozen...or free a dozen:) It's become a mixed bag. Anyone who has any aspirations at all of writing, no matter the level of competence, can get published. This ability has created a market that's flooded. Some of my books have moved from the hundred thousands into the millions. But even though it means--for some of us--being one small fish swimming with a gazillion other small fish trying to stand out, the bottom line is that anyone can now realize their dreams and if it makes sales harder to come by so be it. Getting published is a gift. Back in the day when there were only trad houses, many of us got reeled in, looked at, then tossed back. The acceptance level was limited  and extremely difficult to achieve. Then came small press and the publishing doors were thrown open. And today anyone can create a quality product in e and paper. So while self publishing has made life more challenging, to my way of thinking the positives far out way the negatives. What's your take?

 Queen of Diamonds, part of the Matter of Taste Anthology, is now out in e and paper at Amazon.

Logan Hunter is a bestselling author with a penchant for the ladies. Kendall Theron, his efficient publicist is prim and colorless—at least on the surface. Beneath the proper facade is a woman who will do anything to protect her family, even if it’s not quite legal.
Kendall, knowing her boss’s propensity for the fair sex, has replicated herself into a lady who should hold no appeal for the charismatic charmer she works for. She’s even added a Mrs. in front of her name for an extra layer of protection. If her boss ever turns those sharp eyes on her, if his curiosity is unleashed and he digs up her secrets, the results could mean jail time.
It’s taken Logan Hunter nearly three years to discover there’s more to his employee than meets the eye. An unplanned kiss that ignites them both has him looking at his publicist in a whole new light. He soon learns that the woman he thought he knew doesn’t exist, her persona an illusion. Everything she’s told him is a lie and he’s determined to find out why.

Vampire Island is on sale through December 7th for .99 at Amazon.

My name is Zoe Tempest. Just let me say, I had no intention of becoming a vampire hunter. My world revolved around the trendiest clothes, the boy of the week, shopping, and texting.
My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old could get. I had everything. Then my parents were murdered and my world came crashing down.
After their funeral, I went to live with my uncle Julian Kilmer. That’s when everything changed. In a manner more terrifying than anything I could have imagined.

Isle of Palms

How was your Thanksgiving, Blogster Buds? We did something a little different this year. We went to the Isle of Palms.

View from our balcony

Friday we went to Magnolia Plantation

The baby girl and her HH in Charleston

The HH kept hearing someone saying hello to him and finally figured out it was Bubba.

We had a great time. Every night we walked the beach. There's something mystic about the ocean in the dark, when the white caps are coming in and the water glistens like silver.

But enough about my weekend. I want to hear about yours.