It’s the Christmas Season.
I’m Feeling Generous.
Two Memes Today!
One to make you think,
One to make you smile.
Enjoy!
Author: Marcia Meara
#Christmas at My House, Continued (Sort of)
A Few Old World Santas on Mantle
I had actually meant my earlier post to be more about how Christmas inspires me all year, than about my own decorations. (With the exception of Bob & Boberta, which I thought might garner a smile or two.) But for those who were confused, I figured I’d share a couple photos of actual decorations here. NOT many. It would be overkill, for sure. But just one or two to give you a wee little hint.
Remember that Santa Collection I mentioned? Well, here’s the Big Daddy of them all, six feet of Jolly Old Elf, pointing with pride at my Santa-covered library tree.
A close up of the Santa tree. (The face ornament is one I painted years ago.)
Some little vintage figurines and mugs in the pass-thru window
from kitchen to library.
Close up of some favorite ornaments on my blue & silver tree.
And a close up of my little Wizard of Oz tree,
just so you know I’m not making that up.
😀
And there you have a TINY teaser for what Christmas looks like at the house of a
bona-fide Christmas fanatic. Not too many photos, but probably as many as a
normal person can stand! Ho, ho, ho.
Share this:
#InspirationBoardSunday – Books and Christmas
HO, HO, HO!
At my house, Christmas is a big deal. No, I mean a really big deal. I am, shall we say, a bit over the top about the whole Christmas season. I love the Christmas story and all the traditions, from the Star and the Wise Men, to the tinsel and holly–including, but not necessarily limited to, the music, the colors, the lights, the trees, and Santa Claus. (More on him, shortly). I don’t even mind the commercial aspect much, because I believe at the heart of it, there is a real generosity of spirit and love. This might be naïve, but don’t try to talk me out of it. I believe it anyway–people looking for just the right gift to light up the faces of children on Christmas morning, or to bring a sparkle to the eye of a husband, wife, or friend. And underneath it all lies a desire to make others happy.
Books for Christmas Would Make ME Happy!
(Note: This is NOT my tree. Just an idea I love.)
Christmas inspires me, not only during the season of giving, but all year long, and I try to keep the spirit alive in my heart long after I’ve put the ornaments and wrapping paper away. Oh, and the Santas. Did I mention them? A lifetime of collecting them has added up to more than 300, in every costume, from every era and country. From my six foot all Coca-Cola display Santa to a tiny 1/2″ tall miniature, I love them all! And at my house, a Santa hat makes you an official Santa’s helper, even if it looks a wee bit odd to folks who stop by.
Take Bob the Skull. Bob resides on my Dresden Files bookshelf all year long, keeping an eye on things, and reminding me why writers like Jim Butcher inspire me to jump in the Author’s Pond and swim with the big fish. (Okay, so I’m paddling around in the adjacent wading pool. I can still SEE the big fish, and aspire to be like them.) At Christmas time, Bob dons his jaunty Santa hat, and makes eyes at his girlfriend, Boberta, who lives on a bookshelf across the room. She makes eyes back.
Boberta, Who Thinks Bob is ALL That!
*Ahem* In summation, I just want to say that if you look past the ANG (Annoying New Gadget) commercials and the 3,000 times you’ve had to listen to The Little Drummer Boy, Christmas is still Christmas. A time for love and giving, family and friends, and if we’re very, very, very lucky–someday–Peace on Earth, Good Will to All. And THAT inspires me every day of the year.
Even my Computer and Desk Get in on the Act!
Merry Christmas, Everyone!
Share this:
And Speaking of my First Novel . . .
. . . look what my son spotted yesterday!
😀
Share this:
#WakeRobinRidge by @marciameara #Excerpt
Still trying to catch up after so many interruptions this fall, so not back on my normal posting schedule. Since we have no guest blogger today, I thought maybe I’d just share an excerpt from my first novel, Wake-Robin Ridge, available on Amazon for the permanently low price of $.99.
“Wake-Robin Ridge, where ghosts walk,
ancient legends abound, and things still go bump in the night.”
~~~
EXCERPT
A slow, cold mile later, he could see the faintest hint of dawn through the trees just ahead, and knew he was approaching the clearing. The trick was to get close enough to see without being seen. He found a spot behind some thick but low-growing bushes. It was a perfect place to hunker down and wait. In the gray light of early morning, he pulled out his favorite filleting knife and a small whetstone, spat on the stone, and began to slide the knife back and forth across the surface. Falling into a rhythm, eyes half closed, he continued to hone the knife, metal caressing stone again and again. His excitement rose as he thought about the damage the razor-sharp edge was going to do, slicing deep into tender flesh, and releasing spray after spray of coppery-scented blood into the air. He smiled, already hearing the terrified pleading and the screams that would follow.
The soft noise of blade on stone kept him company as time passed. At last, morning broke in full, and spilled pink and gold daylight into the world, but his thoughts were not on the beauty of the new day opening in front of him. Instead, his hatred morphed into a cold fury as he thought about the full extent of the treachery committed against him, and the bloody revenge he planned to extract.
Lloyd crouched low in the bushes, peering at the little cabin in the clearing. This is what she chose to do with his money? Hide out on a deserted hillside in a stinkin’ little wooden shack that looked like it should have belonged to the Beverly Hillbillies, before they struck it rich? God, he could kill the bitch. “Oh, that’s right,” he said. “I’m going to.”
~~~
Download Your Copy Today!
Wake-Robin Ridge Book 1
Share this:
#ThorsDaySmile
Sometimes the #MondayMeme is funny,
sometimes not. But ThorsDay should always
make you smile.
😀
Share this:
#MondayMeme #MondayBlogs
I just love this one, especially since
it uses a “variation” on a word I haven’t heard since high school!
😀
Share this:
Writing Suspense
An excellent post on Story Empire today. If you write suspense in any form, you’ll surely pick up some great tips. Check it out, and don’t forget to share from their site. 🙂
Craig here again, and the topic this time is writing suspense. Staci posted a wonderful piece about horror back in October. This inspired a great friend of ours, Sue Coletta, to write some suspense techniques over at her blog. I encourage you to check it out here. I mentioned that I was considering this for my next post here. Sue encouraged me to do it, because my techniques are different than hers are. And here we are.
So how do you go about writing suspense into your stories? I’ll tell you next month. Thank you, thank you, I’m here all week.
Bad jokes aside, that is actually one way to include suspense. It’s a process of baiting the reader, but withholding the information. To write this, I’m going to refer to a living document I have on the very topic. Like many of you, I’m a writing student as…
View original post 1,347 more words
Share this:
#PrintOnDemand Question
At my recent workshop, I met a man who is ready to publish an oversized book with lots of color illustrations. I’ve heard there are better options for this type of book than CreateSpace. Have any of you had experience doing this, or heard of other Print on Demand sites that would be better choices for this type of thing? I’d like to be able to offer that info when I’m doing self-publishing workshops, and to pass it along to this gentleman, in particular. Since I work solely with CreateSpace, and do nothing with illustrations, etc, I’m clueless, and don’t want to lead him astray. Thanks for any info you can share!
Share this:
Book #Promotion #FREE Download! – Have Bags, Will Travel – D. G. Kaye
Our friend, D. G. Kaye, has a great FREE promo running now. You should check it out, for sure, and share with all the usual suspects. I’m sorry I can’t reblog from her site, but just click here, and see for yourself! (And while you’re there, download your free copy!)
http://dgkayewriter.com/book-promotion-free-download/
The Write Stuff 