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.

Happy Thanksgiving

And On A Lighter Note

Enjoy your holiday to the max, blogster buds. Wishing you good food and warm fellowship. I'll probably be back Tuesday. See you then.

Ninety-One Year Old World War II Veteran

This is a nearly ten minute trailer and you may not have the time to watch it. But if you do, it's both humbling and inspiring. This gentleman has such a verbal gift. He is amazing to listen to. Whether you or for or against national health care, his story is very moving.

Look See and The Martian

Happy Monday. Hope everyone had a great weekend.

For all my animal loving friends out there, this is definitely worth a look see.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/donkey-and-wold-best-friends/?utm_source=Green+Monster+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=e35e44c98c-NEWSLETTER_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_bbf62ddf34-e35e44c98c-106683461



The hh and I went to see The Martian. I had low expectations because this isn't the type of movie I normally enjoy. Whether it was low expectations or Matt Damon, I loved it. Believed dead,  Astronaut Mark Watney is left on Mars by his crew. His intelligence and strong sense of humor help him survive.Though not fast paced, it's a gripping story.
A definite thumbs up.

It's The Weekend

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Happy Birthday to our blog buddy, Shady.

A Love Triangle

This would have been a tough call.

Crimson Earth

Our good friend, and blogging buddy, Anna Soliveres  is having a cover release for her sequel to Violet Storm. Don't you love this cover and doesn't it sound like an exciting read?

CRIMSON EARTH: 

Aeva Storm finally has the answers she’s been looking for since the night she was struck by lightning. She knows who she is—and more importantly, what she is. But her secret isn’t hers alone to keep, and some of those who know the truth will do anything to control her.

In the sequel to the acclaimed Violet Storm, Aeva must decide how far she’ll go to protect her identity and to find her missing sister in a world she hardly recognizes. She must embrace her new life—and her strange new body—if she hopes to save the only place she and her family have left to call home.

Filled with action, mystery, and heartbreak, Crimson Earth finds Aeva, Ruven, and Karth on opposing sides as the war between The False Alliance and the Monarchy draws near.

Can they band together to fight against the evil threatening the City? Or will they destroy each other before the war has even begun?

---

Folks can add it to their Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27254534-crimson-earth

And sign up for the newsletter to get the first 3 chapters free: http://www.annasoliveres.com

Friday The Thirteenth

Yes it was.  Mine was spot on crazy.
We were on a wait list for an appliance to be delivered when we received a phone call asking if we were pleased with our installation.  We received this message twice.  And we found out, one of the appliances we'd ordered, picked up and installed, was still sitting in the warehouse with our name on it. (Okay, it wasn't the exact same appliance, but the appliance's clone. Anyway, you get my drift....I hope. If not it's on me.)

I received a recorded voice message that said this was the second attempt to contact me about the initial appearance in front of a magistrate judge or  grand jury for a federal criminal defense. When I called back it was for the former owner of my phone number. There was telemarket chatter in the background but when I asked what it was about, they told me it didn't concern me. Spooky and frustrating.

On the way to my hairstylist, I passed a bad accident. Big tree. Little car.  Man being loaded into the ambulance.


And back on the education front........
Remember the one percent wages mentioned last week? To add insult to injury, it was announced in a departmental meeting Friday that the CC is considering putting the faculty on time clocks. I'm sure you can imagine how well that's going over.

 

I survived my Friday and overall the weekend was a good one. I trust you survived yours. 

Oh, and coincidentally....the blogster buds left 13 comments. grin. 

Happy BDay

Happy Birthday, Mikey.....

And Many More

Solidarity

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Friday The 13th

Unions. Pro or con?

Thinking about becoming an educator? You may want to think again, at least if you live in North Carolina.
Over the past five years community college instructors in NC have averaged two.five percent in  raises. That's not per year, that's over a five-year period. This year there was excess money in the state coffers.So it would make sense that the faculty, and staff, would at least get a raise to offset cost of living, right? The faculty and staff at the cc I worked at are getting a one percent raise and a seven hundred and fifty dollar one-time bonus, while the chancellors at the four-year institutes who are already in the six figures are getting nine to eighteen percent pay increases.
WalletHub ranked North Carolina fiftieth on the best and worst states for teachers chart.
I never expected to be saying this in my lifetime but I think its time for the schools to unionize. At one point in America's history unions were necessary for the middle class and the poor to survive, and then they weren't (necessary). But I believe the pendulum has swung.I think if the middle class is going to survive, it's time to bring them back.
What's your take on unions? Pro or con? And are you in a job where your raises keep up with the cost of living?

Friends

They come in all shapes and sizes.

Love is blind. Friendship closes its eyes.  ~*~ Friedrich Nietzsche

The Land Mine

How was your weekend, blogster buds?
We spent ours playing with the grands Friday night and Saturday then Sunday I did what I've been putting off forever--all because I didn't want to move my shoes out of the closet--started shampooing the carpet. Woo hoo. Note I say started. I might have to call a halt to the wild excitement for a day or two. Yup, the fun never stops at our house. What about you? I trust you've got something more titillating to share than carpet cleaning.

Friday

Fireman Saves Kitten

Thanks, Rye.

IWSG Wednesday

It's that time again. When we as writers express our doubts and concerns, share our experiences and encourage others.
Besides our awesome IW support group, I'd like to talk briefly about family support. My family is great and completely support my writing, of course, most of them don't support it enough to actually read it. Grin.  I periodically collar the hh, who is an English Instructor and writes poetry. When he does make a suggestion on a manuscript I've written it's usually spot on and something I've totally overlooked. My sister picks up nearly everything that comes out on Kindle and shoots for being the first purchaser and is tied for first place with the hh in leading the rah rah support section. I couldn't do without them. But the family member whose support blows me away is my eighty-seven year old uncle who reads everything that comes out in paper. Romance, fantasy, historical, it doesn't matter, he reads it. Is that not the coolest thing?
And speaking of come outs, i.e. releases, Vampire Island has been re-released.

http://tinyurl.com/nkjfqmc

I really like my cover. I purchased it from The Cover Collection.  The price was fair, but my math skills have never been my strong suit and you know those math questions about buying two dozen loaves of bread for twenty some people, etc, etc? Well, I obviously failed because when I had to factor in the pounds versus dollars, I thought I was saving thirty dollars when I was actually paying an extra thirty. grin.


Blurb:
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.
I always tried to play down the fact that I’m really quite intelligent. I’d much rather be considered blonde and clueless. It’s so much easier to get dates.
My parents were well-off and indulgent. I was the center of their universe. I’m afraid I took that for granted.
One odd thing, my mother insisted I take self-defense training. I just figured she wanted to keep her little princess safe. But looking back, perhaps she had a premonition. To my surprise, I took to it like a kid to Pop Tarts and ended up with a black belt in karate.
My life was as close to perfect as a seventeen year old can 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.

~*~

Free Download Through Nov 6

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016RFAIPS