A Little Good News

Good for the Goose just got a strong review from Tyhada's Place!

http://tyhadas-place.blogspot.com/2010/12/review-good-for-goose-by-anne-holly.html?zx=8c4c282f6948eb6a

Important News

It seems someone owns the word "Un-Scrooged," so I have to reverse the PR campaign for this book, which at the moment is untitled, and think of a new title. I will be removing and changing things as soon as I can, but for now I guess the book is scuttled until I can find a new title.

ho ho ho.

ETA: This story was later renamed Unwrapping Scrooge.

Be Good to Yourself this Holiday Season: Mushroom Gravy

The holidays can be very hard on the health. While some gluttony is not only to be expected, but can also be good for the soul, it's also wise to blend your desire for decadence with the desire to be good to your body. That's why, for this Meatless Monday, I have elected to present Mushroom Gravy - a nice alternative to the traditional, more clog-inducing beef or poultry kind.

Now, Mushroom Gravy isn't always healthy (nor is it always vegetarian), but this recipe is not only easy and delicious, but can also be creatively adapted to many different diets and requirements.

Homemade Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup white or button mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small yellow or white onion, minced
• 1/4 cup vegan margarine
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning (or 1/2 tsp each of sage, thyme and marjoram)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a large skillet, melt the margarine (or low fat oil, or substitute), and add chopped onion and mushrooms. I use slightly aged mushrooms, the ones that aren't really useful for salads or anything any more - I find they make more juice and have a bit more flavour. Besides, this is a great way to use mushrooms that don't really have the looks for table use any more.

Pan fry for just a minute or two over high heat. Simmer on low until the mushrooms are soft and juicy. You can add a bit of water and sea salt to encourage the mushrooms to release their juices a bit more.

Set heat to medium and add vegetable broth and soy sauce. Slowly add flour, stirring well to combine and prevent lumps from forming. Bring to a simmer or a low boil, then reduce heat.

Add poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, stirring consistently. Allow to cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens.

Optional: If gravy is too liquidy, or just to add extra protein, sprinkle some plain TVP into the gravy, as this will soak up the water (and flavour) and add a bit of substance.

Enjoy!

Unwrapping Scrooge Review!

Unwrapping Scrooge was quite affectionately reviewed on the romance/erotica review blog, Tyhada's Bookshelf! The reviewer noted she was looking forward to reading more of my work, and I hope she does! (My first official review! YAY!)

Review can be read here!

***

If you would like a review copy of any of my works (on PDF), please contact me!

Excerpt Sunday: Something More from the NaNo Novel

Here's a something a little fresh for you - from the rough draft of my still-untitled NaNo novel, in which Libby, a single mother up for tenure at her university, must deal with her growing affections for Seth, an ex-cop mature student who won't take no for an answer. Enjoy!

“Mom, what makes them different colours?”

“Hmm?” Libby asked Charlie distractedly as she looked for a bag of bean sprouts that looked fresh enough to survive the ride home, at least. Grocery shopping was not exactly her favourite activity, but she had to admit it was a lot more fun with an adequate bank account and a car to ferry it all home in. She took the job of food finding seriously in a way that only people who had once been destitute do.

“These,” Charlie said, holding up the bag of bell peppers from the cart. “What makes them different colours?”

“Well…” Libby smiled; she loved how Charlie asked about everything. But, just as she was about to answer, she spotted an unwelcome disruption to her brain waves – there was Seth, in all his all-too-handsome glory, picking out bread. Resisting the urge to duck behind the cart in some sort of ridiculous Meg Ryan-esque move of romantic comedy slapstick, she instead spun her back to the man and pretended to concentrate a little too much on the jugs of organic apple juice.

“Don’t you know?” Charlie asked, puzzled by her odd behaviour.

“What?” Libby asked, absently, trying to slow her heart rate, and feeling like a silly ninth grader. “Um, yeah… They are different colours, because they are different varieties of peppers. They are all bell peppers, but some come from red pepper seeds, and some from yellow, and so on.”

“Ahhh,” Charlie said. “Like cats?”

Libby chuckled at the interesting paths her son’s mind took. “Yes, sort of.”

“Like, white mommy cats have white baby cats, right?”

“I guess,” she said, suddenly a little alarmed at the new direction of the conversation into procreation. She had slowly eased Charlie into the biology of reproduction, but she wasn’t sure the FoodMAX vegetable aisle was the place to continue the chat.

“But what if the mommy is white, but the daddy cat was black – doesn’t he have a say in it?” Charlie’s little brow puckered.

“Then you get Dalmatian cats, maybe,” a deep voice from behind her answered.

Charlie laughed, “No – Dalmatians are dogs, silly.”

Libby almost corrected Charlie’s too-familiar reply to a strange adult, but Seth stepped in easily, “Yeah, you’re right, I think. I was never good at the breed types,” he admitted. “We only ever had mutts.”

“Like me!” Charlie smiled, pleased that he understood what Seth was saying. “I’m part Irish, part Scottish, part English, part Italian and part “mutt.” That’s what grandma says her daddy was.”

“That’s the best way to be,” Seth said, smiling down at the boy. “Mutts live longer, I’m told.”

“Grandma also said I was a bastard,” Charlie said confidentially, “when she thought I wasn’t listening… Is that a good thing, too?”

Libby gasped in horror, but Seth seemed to be struggling to keep a straight face at the surprizing revelation.

“Charlie,” Libby intervened, “grandma should not have said that. It’s not a nice word.”

Charlie looked up, concerned. “Why would grandma call me something that isn’t nice?”

Realizing she had stepped into a topic that was actually much worse than the birds and the bees, she put a hand on Charlie’s thin shoulder and crouched in front of him. “It doesn’t mean you’re bad, or that grandma doesn’t think you’re not nice, so don’t worry. It’s just an old fashioned word for someone whose parents weren’t married. But some people don’t like the word, so it’s likely not good to use in mixed company, so you don’t hurt anyone’s feelings.”

“Ah!” Charlie said, letting the meaning sink in. “Like, when I said that man was a hobo, and you said that wasn’t a nice word for someone who didn’t have a house to live in?”

“Exactly, Charlie,” Libby said, pleased she had averted disaster. “You didn’t mean anything bad towards that man, did you?” At Charlie’s emphatic shake of his head, she mentally blessed his sweet little heart. “Of course not – you just used a word that some people might not like, but you didn’t mean any harm. That’s what grandma did when you overheard her.”

When Charlie nodded and seemed to be at peace with the topic, Libby stood and let out a breath of relief. Seth caught her eye and winked, and they shared a silent “man, parenting is tough some times” moment of sympathy between them.

“What’s next on the list?” Charlie asked.

“We need a big bag of oranges,” Libby said, spotting a huge display of them not too far away. “Can you find those?”

“I sure can!” Charlie, who was always eager to help, shot off to carefully select his bag of oranges.

“Wow,” Seth said. “You’re good.”

Libby laughed. “Not always, but, luckily, he’s pretty easy-going. Too smart for me sometimes, though.”

They chuckled together for a moment, and then went silent.

“So,” he said quietly, “I take it your mom doesn’t approve of some things, huh?”

“Well, she’s…” Libby thought of a way to phrase what she was about to say. “Let’s just say she’s not always the most understanding person.” Libby tossed her bag of sprouts into the cart. “I could spit nails that Charlie heard her talk that way, though.”

Seth bumped her shoulder with his in sympathy and watched Charlie peeking into the mesh bags of oranges. “He seems like a great kid.”

“He really is,” Libby agreed, fondly.

“You’ve done a good job, Libby,” Seth said, looking at her face fondly. “You amaze me.”

Clearing her throat at his compliment, Libby bowed her head to check her list.

“Man, when I became a single parent to Kelsey,” he said, “I was flat out exhausted all the time and anxious about everything… And she was eight! I can’t imagine doing it alone from infancy.”

“Well,” Libby shrugged, “I also wasn’t running after crooks all day.”

“True,” Seth laughed. “That does tend to wear a person out.”

“So, how is Kelsey doing?” Libby asked.

“She’s good,” Seth said, but waggled his head in a “so-so” motion. “You know – she’s fourteen.”

“Oh yes,” Libby said. “I know how that can go. Girls are not always at their best at that age, I admit.”

“Is anyone?” Seth laughed in agreement. “She’s dead set on moving in with her mom, but…”

“You’re just not sure?”

“Not at all,” Seth slumped his shoulders. “I wish I could be, so I wouldn’t be the bad guy, but… I just don’t trust this new guy Jami’s with at the moment. Some of my pals back in Cincy were iffy on his record – mostly DUIs and some pot stuff. Not enough to flat out refuse, I guess, but not really a pillar of society.”

“But no domestic stuff or sex crimes,” Libby offered, trying to soften the decision for him.

“No, thank God, none of that – though, in a way, that would make no a lot easier,” he shoved frustrated fingers through his short hair and continued to watch Charlie without really focusing on him.

“Hey!” he said, suddenly. “Do you guys want to come by for lunch?”

“When…?” Libby asked, cautiously.

“Well, today, after groceries,” he said. “If you’ve got anything that needs the freezer, you can just park them in our fridge until you’re ready to go. You can just follow me back to my place…” He started to sense her hesitation, and added, “Unless you’ve got plans or something…”

“Well,” she started to waffle. “The committee still hasn’t made its tenure decision,” she reminded him.

“Yeah, but we’re hardly up to anything naughty with the kids and my nosey mom around,” he countered.

“Very, very true,” Libby laughed. “I just don’t know if it’s a good idea to bring men around Charlie…” she confessed. Seth looked a little stung, and she hastened to add,

“Not because I worry about him being safe around you or anything… Just… He’s really into daddies these days, and I don’t want him jumping to any conclusions and getting his feelings hurt. I hope you understand…”

Seth nodded slowly. “I do…” he said reasonably. “It’s likely smart of you.” After a moment, he added, “Has that come up often for you?”

“No,” she answered quickly. “No, this is the first time I’ve had to consider the problem.”

“So, maybe we could ease in and see how lunch went, and if you see anything that concerns you, we won’t repeat it,” Seth suggested. “It’s just lunch with friends, right? Just because I am a guy…”

“Oh dear,” Libby exclaimed. “Are you playing the gender discrimination card?”

“I’m not above that, no,” Seth laughed, his even white teeth and dimple adding an aura of mirth to his face that she loved to see. “So, what do you say, mom?”

“Well, at least you asked me in private,” she started to relent. “A real manipulator would have put me on the spot in front of Charlie to win his point.”

“I’ll remember that for next time,” Seth joked.

“Don’t you dare,” she warned in mock severity.

“We’ll have chowder and sandwiches, I think,” Seth tempted. “I’m cooking, and that is something not to be missed.”

“Well, if you are putting it that way,” Libby shrugged, “it would be rude to say no. We graciously accept.”

“Great!” Seth said with genuine pleasure. “I’d really like you to meet my mom and Kelsey… But, you know, try to remember she’s…”

“Fourteen?” Libby supplied with a smile of understanding.

“Yeah.”

“Don’t worry,” Libby said honestly. “I will cut her oodles of slack, if you cut me a lot of slack, as well.”

“For what?”

“I never met a boy’s mother before,” she grinned.

“Hey,” he said, smoothly, “I’m just an old fashioned guy. Gotta meet the folks before I propose, right?”

Libby knew he was joking, but her heart nearly jumped out of her throat and skittered across the checker board tiles of the grocery store.

But then Charlie was before her, so she tried to act casual as she relayed their lunch plans to the boy, who was excited to spend more time with any adult male, a rare thing for him.

And, as they paid for their groceries, Libby was somewhat happy for her son… But very worried for herself.

Cavalcade of Holiday Movie Enjoyment!

To many people over the age of ten, Christmas entertainment can be a bit tiresome. For example, I absolutely loathe holiday parades, especially those in the cold weather - Oh look! People in chintzy costumes! And they are walking. And waving! And I got a ten cent candy cane for my trouble. Yay!

But, I must admit that I actually like Christmas movies, to be honest. It is not that I believe that the magic of Christmas always brings out the best in everyone, and troubles miraculously disappear if you only believe hard enough, yadda, yadda, yadda. Rather, it is that I enjoy the mythology of Christmas films, as well as that crisp hope that radiates from some, or that callous spite that rolls off others. Truly, there are few movie seasons like Christmas, so I find myself jumping at the chance to pick and choose my favourite ones.

Be warned, though: I am not terribly traditional in my definition of Christmas movie, but there are some limits. Unlike cable TV, I refuse to believe that My Fair Lady (which I believe takes place in Spring) or The Sound of Music (which, aside from the words “crisp and white, clean and bright” is not all that Christmassy, really) are Christmas films. Therefore, I will try to give brief reasons why each film is a holiday film in my book.



Now, people try to pin romance on Valentine’s Day, or possibly lazy summers by the lake, but, for my money, those last weeks of December and those first nights of January really make up the Season of Love. This is why every Christmas, I start leaning towards the rom-com genre, which, luckily, has a good crop of Christmas crossover appeal. A sure fire bet, and one of the best romantic comedies ever made, is When Harry Met Sally…. Sure, purists may deem this not a holiday movie, but when Harry runs into that New Year’s Eve dance to find the woman he has just realized he loves, and says those great words… You get the idea. (Love + magic + decorations = Holiday, ok?) This movie always tops my holiday viewing list – enjoyable story and good characters, and, let’s face it, Billy Crystal has never been more loveable before or since.

Of course, if your mood for romantic comedies requires a larger portion, you can’t go wrong with Bridget Jones’s Diary, or the rash of hip British winter-themed romantic comedies that followed it, including About a Boy (“Santa’s Super Sleigh” kills me) and Love, Actually. Still, for my money, WHMS is the tops.

However, while the holiday season is the perfect time for love, it is also a great time for disaffectedness, alienation, existential angst, and abject romantic poverty. If this group includes you, you will find your comfort in the numerous anti-Christmas pictures made over the years. I am tempted to throw The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in there (hey, there was that one Christmas scene… right?), but my pick for this category would have to be, for modern stuff, The Ice Harvest, which is about as cold a holiday film as you can get. The clue: when someone’s wife is found dead kneeling over her Christmas presents on Christmas Eve, this is not a feel good film for the joy of the season. A contemporary noir, The Ice Harvest is often grizzly, but seldom dull, and it illustrates nicely how everything can go to hell at Christmas.

In terms of classics, I find it odd that no one recognizes Chaplin’s The Gold Rush as a holiday film. The fact that it takes place in snow helps, of course, but the Tramp’s dejection on New Year’s is a tragedy that plays itself out so regularly during the festive season that one cannot help but see this comedy masterpiece as a timeless tale of Christmas blues.

Now, classics buffs would scream if I did not mention It’s a Wonderful Life.

Ok, done.

No, seriously, It’s a Wonderful Life is a fine film, though not as sugary as it has been cracked up to be by parodies and memories. Sadly, the film's dark undercurrent of suicidal tendency is probably all too relevant for the holiday season. However, if we are going for Capri-corn, I have to suggest a lesser known but just as enduring and touching film, Meet John Doe. “John Doe,” played by the always alluring Gary Cooper, is a man seemingly pushed to his limits by the inhumanity of the system, and who demands that the world change, or he ends it all on Christmas Eve. Of course, in the meantime there is love, hard-bitten reporters and other things we have all grown to demand from 1930/40s melodramas, but there is also heart and wit here, too, and I find it an unforgettable film.



Next, we have a story that is very nearly a genre in its own right – Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. This is an oft-told tale, but one you’d be hard pressed to dislike. It's one of my favourites, all year round. Scrooge, the iconic miser, is about as great as a character gets, and the basic myth of Christmas presented in this story makes this a permanent foundational text of our culture. However, not all versions are created equal, though I’d say you’d be safe watching any version shown on late night TV on Christmas weekend (there is a certain thrill to watching this movie after midnight on Christmas Eve – check it and see). My favourite all time versions have to include the beloved Bill Murray updated version, Scrooged, the classic 1951 Alastair Sims version Scrooge (they dropped the fancy title in honest recognition of who is the real attraction of this story), and the cute Muppet’s Christmas Carol staring Michael Cane as Scrooge, and Kermit as Bob Cratchit. However, even less glorified versions deserve a look in, such as Patrick Stewart’s HBO rendering (featuring the wonderful Joel Grey and Richard E. Grant in supporting roles).

(Best Christmas line ever? “Must I be accosted by these blasted sea urchins?”)

Finally, the best and the greatest of all Christmas movies, as even acknowledged by its unvarnished title, has to be A Christmas Story. Maybe the title doesn’t even ring a bell, but the gist should come back to you if I yell, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Remember it now? A beautiful piece of American nostalgia, this film reminds us that it isn’t always about getting exactly what you want (because answered prayers can still turn bad), or about having a perfect family or home. It is about the kind of memories that the holidays leave you with that matter in the long run. And a perfect holiday meal can be served at your dining room table or at a Chinese restaurant, but that makes it no less perfect.

So, no matter what you like to watch, Christmas and seasonal films can entertain, warm the heart and delight the soul, and there is a wide variety for them to choose from. From the absurd to the sublime, Christmas has become part of our shared cinematic heritage, so stay in, hug someone you love tightly, and enjoy the season of screen magic.

Happy Holidays!

Wicked Christmas and More

Wicked Nights has a lot of great books for the Christmas season. We are bringing you, the reader, a couple of paranormal goodies as well as some old fashioned fun.

Good For The Goose was our first in the Christmas round up written by your own Anne Holly. This story is one of my favorites in the Christmas line up, because of the realness I feel when I'm reading it. This one is out now for your enjoyment. :)

Wicked Christmas is a group of four Christmas stories that center around a party thrown by the Vampire Zachary Halback. He's trying to fish up information on what each group of Supernatural beings, but finds he's met his match in a rough and tough Order of the Phoenix, Nina. There is also a Witch casting spells and falling in love with a Werewolf, a Demon that finds love with a human and an old Vampire love recaptured. The first two of this series – Sex On The Beach, Christmas Style by Julie Lynn Hayes and Aloha Christmas by Ashlynn Monroe are available now. Look for Christmas Bounty by Stacey Thompson-Geer and The Curse by Angel to be out in the next two weeks.

All I Want For Christmas by Scarlet Rose is also a great little Christmas story about a Selia. She can't stand Christmas and just wants to get home to her Ice Cream and cozy apartment. When she runs into Santa Clause on the way home, she makes a wish she won't soon forget. Available now.

Eternal Gift by Ashlynn Monroe is the story of a Christmas party gone wrong. Angelica meets a mysterious man at her office Christmas party, a man who wants to taste her in every way possible. When an accident takes everyone she loves away and leaves her on the brink of death, she receives the darkest of Christmas gifts.

All of these Christmas stories are sure to warm up your cold nights this holiday season. Check out www.wickednights.info as well as All Romance Ebooks, 1place For Romance, Amazon, and Barnes and Nobles.

Don't miss the 12 days of Giveaways through Dec 14th. There are tons of great prizes to win and something so big it has to be sent to your house.

- Stacey Thompson-Geer,

Founder of Wicked Nights

A Holiday Update from Author Ashlynn Monroe

Thanks for having me on your blog Anne! I’m having a great holiday season so far. Being a published author is all I’ve wanted from Santa Claus forever and the fat guy in red finally delivered this year!

I love how the Wild Horse Press Redemption anthology came together. I’m so proud to have been able to work with Jessica, BethAnn, J. L, and Lila! So much talent, whoot, love it! I have a couple of things to plug shamelessly today. I hope you don’t mind.

All I Want for Christmas is Redemption, here’s a blurb about it.

On the boarder of West Virginia and Pennsylvania sits a town deep in history, Redemption. The name itself would speculate a place for second chances. In a town bound by a curse, strange is a state of mind. Condemned for the murder of a young white witch in 1699, the descendents of the towns founders are far from “normal." The town’s punishment for their hate means living and loving despite the special challenges of their “difference."

Christmas is a time of goodwill and love…even in a place like Redemption.

My story is "Witch Way to the New Year," and here’s a sneak peak.

Dropping her toast onto the floor, Phoebe Penn bit her lip to keep the curse word from tumbling from her lips. She cast a fugitive glance at her three-year-old son, Simon. He played contently with his matchbox car, running it over the surface of the secondhand kitchen table and paying no attention to his mother’s vocabulary. Making little engine noises, he focused on his imaginary world.

Every time she looked at him, he took Phoebe’s breath away. She loved her son with every ounce of her heart and soul! It was hard to raise him alone. She'd lost her parents in her early teens, resulting in her home hopping through the foster care system. When she'd discovered that she was pregnant at seventeen, she didn't want to give him away; she loved him from the second she'd heard his first heartbeat. Simon’s father didn't want any responsibility to her or their son, so she'd been caring for him alone.

Phoebe was a bit different because of her family heritage. She often wondered if she'd been a normal woman from an ordinary family would it have made a difference. Would Simon’s father have decided to stick around if no one had ever stared at her or whispered about her?

All of her life, people pointed her out as “one of those Penns." Generation after generation of her family had lived in Redemption just on the border between Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and because of that, everyone in town knew what she was and what she could do. Often times she'd thought of taking her son and going somewhere where no one would know that she was a witch!

But Redemption was in her blood. The wild rugged beauty held her very soul. Redemption was her home; she was honestly afraid to leave. And if Simon’s father ever came to his senses and wanted a relationship with his son, she didn't want to deprive her little boy of a father because of the distance. Hopefully someday her adorable son would have the opportunity to know his father. Each time the idea of leaving crossed her mind she would reject it. She was just another of the town’s many oddities; Phoebe stayed ignoring the stares.

I’ve begun something delightful. Blog Talk Radio is a collection of internet radio talk shows. I started with 15 min but I’ve had a very positive response so I’ve lengthened to 30 minutes. I’d loved having you on the pilot episode Anne and I’d love it if you call in again soon! The show airs at 5:30 pm CST every Sunday night. Just search mustlovebooks (all one word) or click here.

It’s a show about books and the kooky guys and gals who write them! I love it! Learning about other authors, publishers, and readers is why I created the show. I’d love to have an artist or distributor call in too! The number to call is (619) 789-1934. I’m going to start doing live chats too for those folks who don’t want to hear themselves on the radio. This is another way to get a shout out on the show. Type in your book info and I’ll read it on the air, or ask my callers anything you’ve been wondering! I reserve the right to refuse to ask them if its boxers or briefs, but most anything goes, the show is rated adult.

My (long awaited by me) novel Blood Kin is now available for purchases at Wicked Ink Press. It’s my longest work, a full length novel, currently released. Here’s a blurb about the book:

Following the brutal deaths of her family, Danya Adams finds herself alone and responsible for her small niece. After finding a last message from her mother and sister-in-law, she realizes that her family has been keeping a big secret from her. Calling a long lost aunt, Danya soon finds herself embroiled in a world she never imagined could be real. Pushed to her limits, Danya struggles to become a vampire hunter while discovering a heritage of tragedy.

The only thing that makes her new life bearable is a young man named Valin. Her need for vengeance pushes her forward. Trying to balance all the new responsibility and find her place in the world is hard enough without learning new and disturbing family secrets at every turn. Danya learns why the leader of the vampires hates her aunt, yet wants her to join him. The secret leads to her losing the one man she loves to the creatures she’s vowed to destroy.

I also have Aloha Christmas and Eternal Gift from Wicked Nights this month. Both are short 0.99 hot vampire stories, because what’s Christmas without hot vampire sex? Ok, maybe that’s my Christmas wish, but yumm-o I love hot vampires! Aloha Christmas is the second release in a series of sexy romance set in Hawaii during Christmas from Wicked Nights. Here’s a quick bite.

Fighting the painful memories, she stumbled back against her date, Van. He’d brought her with him on the special Hawaiian Christmas get away. It was a dream come true, she’d never been anywhere as exotic or beautiful before. The smells and sights had filled her with awe. Yet, here she stood wishing she’d never come! Kyler was here. Once she’d loved him so passionately she thought it might kill her, literally.

Why was a vampire in Hawaii? It’s not as if he’d come for the sun bathing.

She’d been his blood-giver, a living blood donor, for three of the best years of her life. He was so handsome, and worldly, it was easy to love him. She would still be with him if he’d never asked her for eternity. Remembering the terrible decision like it happened yesterday made her feel sick to her stomach.

“I want you Cat, forever. I can’t live without you Darling. Please accept the dark gift, you can be as you are right now, perfect and beautiful, for eternity. Catlin, will you be with me for eternity? I want you to be my wife; I want to turn you. It’s your choice, but if you refuse, I’ll understand. When you die your human death, I’ll end my existence as well. Will you marry me Cat?”

The diamond ring he displayed to her was the most breathtaking gem she’d ever seen. Tears burned behind her eyes. How could she say no to the most wonderful man she’d ever known? Thinking about her mother and brother her decision was obvious.

“I’m sorry; I can’t be with you anymore. Goodbye Kyler, I love you.”

She got up and left. Her last sight of him had broken her heart. Sorrow filled his beautiful face. She’d put that sadness in his eyes, and in that moment Cat hated herself. If she stayed with him, she’d age. She knew him always to be true to his words, staying with him would be a death sentence. She couldn’t bear knowing that each day she brought him one day closer to his death. For love and for her family she made the hardest choice of her life and walked away.

Eternal Gift will be available December 19th and it’s a very dark but sexy story about getting a gift that’s definitely not returnable but oh so sexy.

Silver Publishing will be releasing yet another vampire Christmas tale by little old me. This one is a novella called Vampires and Mistletoe and it’s the sexy story about a young woman whose long time grudge against her very unusual family finds a measure of healing with the love of one very sexy vampire. You can buy this book on December 15th.

Give yourself the gift of vampires this Christmas season when you buy my books. (The short ones are perfect for those long checkout lines!) Happy Holidays, God bless you and yours this holiday season!

Thanks for the shameless plug time Anne. I love your blog!

Guest Post from Deanna Wadsworth: Fruitcake 101

Okay, folksies, we all know no one eats fruitcake. I can’t even believe people are baking them…do you even bake them? I’m not sure. Maybe they are like mushrooms and they just start growing in damp dark places. And people try to pass them off as dessert by trick f***ing us and calling it CAKE!

News flash: You’re not fooling anyone with that one!

Personally, I am convinced the purveyors of these calorie-laden, rock-hard, “cakes” are all in some club where they sycophantically plot who to gift with these nuclear edibles. Maybe they sit around trying to top each other with stories about how us fruitcake-giftees actually ATE some just to be polite.

So what should you do if you are unlucky enough to receive one of these concrete delicacies?

Well, in my research for this blog I discovered dozens upon dozens of websites and blogs dedicated to this holiday treat.

Mostly it appears that folks enjoy coming up with uses for fruitcake. Such as:

* One slice of fruitcake can balance a wobbly kitchen table

* They can be a fun alternative for clay pigeons the next time you go skeet-shooting

* You can put them on the table center atop a bed of pinecones, holly and evergreen branches. If you coat it with polyurethane so you can use it year after year.

* One slice of fruitcake is an ideal campfire starter, especially if it has been excessively doused with rum

* If one attaches a fruitcake to the other end of a teeter-totter a child can use the equipment by himself.

* Dumbbells. Who needs a gym membership when two fruitcakes easily weigh 15lbs each!

* Fruitcakes used as speed bumps will stop people from speeding thru your cul-de-sac

Here are some more Fun Fruitcake Facts:

* Did you know December 27th is National Fruitcake Day (also known as Fruitcake Forever Day)? If you received a fruitcake for Christmas, share it with all your friends that day! Make sure every-one gets a piece. Don’t be stingy!

* Someone wrote a song called, ‘Eat the Last Piece of Fruitcake,’ sung to the tune of 'Last Train to Clarksville' by The Monkees. It’s a very funny song parody. Unless, of course, you love Christmas fruitcake and do not value your molars. Here’s the link.

* If they had used fruitcakes instead of sand bags we could have contained the Gulf oil spill from reaching land

* Fruitcakes have been used as substitute railroad ties by CSX

* Bowling alleys will take fruitcakes off your hands and use them as bowling pins. You might even get a free game out of it

No not really…I made the last few up. But I had ya goin’ didn’t I?

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If you have a fun use for Fruitcake, post a comment below. You will be entered to win either a copy of one of my erotic stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow or Red Riding Hood.

Deanna Wadsworth is an erotica author. She leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio but her fascination with all things taboo and bizarre find their way into her writings. You can find her at her blog and on Facebook.

Deanna's latest erotic m/m novel SECRET SANTA is the December Decadent Publishing Read for Life feature. Read For a Cure is a Decadent Publishing program benefiting the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Each month, they donates ALL PUBLISHER PROFITS from one book to R4L in their efforts to help fight back against cancer.
Deanna will be donating 50cents per purchase of SECRET SANTA to this same great cause.
So if you have never read an m/m story before, please pick up a copy of SECRET SANTA. It is One Naughty Read for one Nice Cause!

For more information about how you can help donate to Relay for Life or to join TEAM DECADENT check out this LINK

Holiday Showcase 2010

Christmas is almost upon us, and most publishing companies are rolling out the holiday romances at the moment. I have two, myself - Good for the Goose and Un-Scrooged, and you can read more on how I feel about the sub-genre in my post at the Decadent Blog. I thought today I would give you a little look-see at some of the seasonal finery available this month!

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Over at Decadent, they seem to be having quite a Christmas party, with two pages full of holiday romances. If your wintery tastes run to moving, historical romances, Amanda McIntyre's A Christmas Promise seems right up that alley, with a touching love story involving a young widowed Irishman bringing his young son to the New World, and finding love when he least expected it. If you like historical, but with a wee bit more zest and a lot more action, PJ Schnyder delivers in Evie's Promise, a steampunk story about a feisty young woman saving her airship from an enemy submarine! (Who says Christmas is calm?) For even more action-adventure, Robert C Roman Jr has his second book of the Iron Angel Series out, Vigil, in which "A cowardly attack on Christmas Day leaves Sebastian standing alone against the might of the Ottoman Immortals."

Decadent also has some fine contemporary Christmas stories with a touch of erotica, such as Clarissa Yip's new Snowy Encounter. Also, remember, this is the season for giving, so check out Deanna Wadsworth's M/M holiday erotica, Secret Santa - Decadent's December "Read for a Cure" story. All publisher proceeds for this book during December will be donated to the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life program.

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At Wild Horse, you should take a look at what authors Ashlynn Monroe, Lila Munro, BethAnn Buehler, J.L. Oiler, and Jessica Coulter Smith have been up to! All I Want for Christmas is Redemption is their new holiday anthology, which brings a bit of paranormal to the holidays.

On the border of West Virginia and Pennsylvania, sits a town deep in history - Redemption. The name itself would speculate a place for second chances. In a town bound by a curse, strange is a state of mind. Condemned for the murder of a young white witch in 1699, the descendents of the towns founders are far from "normal."

Christmas is a time of good will and love... even in a town like Redemption.

Available now!

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As always, old standbyHarlequin has a wide selection of Christmas stories coming out in its various series and imprints. From Inspirational, with such old fashioned sweetness as An Amish Christmas, by Patricia Davids, to their much-touted Medical Romance series, and Dr Zinetti's Snowkissed Bride by Sarah Morgan, or their Historical romance line, with Annie Burrow's A Countess by Christmas, they've got titles galore this season, including multiple Christmas romances in their ever-popular SuperRomance collection (my persona favourite).

At HQ's new e-book imprint, Carina Press, Christmas gets a bit more eclectic, with holiday titles in even more sub-genres, including GLBT, erotic and paranormal, along side more contemporary mainstream novels, as well.

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If your tastes run a bit more to the wicked, Wicked Nights has the thrills to combat those chills this season, with their Wicked Christmas Series of definitely-atypical holiday erotic stories, and more coming out in the next few weeks. Watch for a Wicked Nights holiday offerings run down from author/publisher Stacey Thompson-Geer later on this blog! And don't forget their Wicked contest!

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There are also promising holiday collections at Silver Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and Pink Petal Books, and many more small, large and in-between ebook and brick-and-mortar publishers. Well worth a look around! Please, feel free to comment below with your holiday recommendations, new and old.

Happy Holidays, and Happy Reading!

Midnight Fun

Come join me around midnight over at Deanna Wadsworth's blog for cocktails, some chit chat, and a give-aways! I'm giving away a copy of my Christmas romantic comedy, Unwrapping Scrooge, or of my Christmas erotic-romance, Good for the Goose - Your choice!

One commenter (between midnight tonight and midnight tomorrow night) will win!

Latkes

In honour of Hanukkah, here's a traditional latke recipe. Because Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, is all about one day's worth of oil lasting eight days, the holiday cuisine is often fried - and latkes (fried potato pancakes) are the holiday staple. There are many low-cal, low-fat, non-fried variations out there, but, come on! - it's only once a year!

Ingredients:

5 potatoes
2 onions
3 eggs (or egg replacer and/or flax seed)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
between 1/4 to 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
oil for frying (canola is recommended)

Preparation:

1. Peel potatoes (this is optional - I don't peel mine). Cut into chunks and blanch.
2. When ready to prepare the latkas, drain the potatoes. Place potatoes and onions in a blender. Pulse until smooth. (Can also be mashed with a glass milk bottle until smooth.) Drain mixture well.
3. Pour potato mixture into a large bowl. Add beaten eggs or egg replacer. Add salt and pepper. Add enough flour so that the mixture holds together.
4. Pour 1 inch of oil into a large, deep frying pan. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
5. Carefully drop 1/4 cup of the potato mixture into the hot oil.
6. Flatten the pancake slightly so the center will cook.
7. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
8. Drain on paper towels (I use coffee filters - absorbent, but less lint involved).

Serving Suggestion: Serve the latkes with applesauce or sour cream. Can also be made in a dessert variety, using squash or zucchini, with vanilla and cinnamon, instead of onion, and maple syrup or fruit as a topping.

Yields: approximately 20 pancakes

Unwrapping Scrooge Reviewed on Must Love Books

A big thank you to Ashlynn Monroe for giving a shout out about how much she enjoyed Unwrapping Scrooge (under its old title) on the BlogTalkRadio show Must Love Books. Ashlynn's guest tonight was publisher-author Stacey Thompson-Geer, owner of Wicked Nights!

I am so thrilled Ashlynn liked the book so much! It's such a kick to hear from readers, be they writers themselves or not, and I hope everyone will let me know how they like my stuff.

You can hear the show here.

Excerpt Sunday: Good for the Goose

Here's a little bit of the romance from my holiday erotic-romance, Good for the Goose, recently released from Wicked Nights: After Dark.

If there is one thing sexier than a 23 year old Spaniard, Natasha mused, it was one who poured you a glass of red wine and encouraged you to put your feet up while he made you dinner!

And there he was – his firm, tight body floating around her kitchen as if he were performing some gourmet ballet for her enjoyment, surrounded by the most delicious smells. If his intention was to whet her appetite, his mission was accomplished with extraordinary zeal and success.

“Well, Raphael,” she sighed, enjoying her unexpected position of watcher instead of cook, “I must say, I am very impressed.”

“This? Nah!” he scoffed. “Cooking – it's a joy.”

With him, cooking was a protracted, joyous process, indeed - as much talking was done as chopping, and they laughed even more. While prone to dimpled charm, Raphael at the department was usually a very controlled, reserved young man, but in the kitchen, with a damp dish towel over one shoulder and bits of red pepper stuck to his forearm, he exhibited an ease and comfort Natasha hadn't felt with another human in some time.

Watching him drizzle lemon on the salmon and return it to the oven, and then move to puree the tomato to top off the rice, she thought of all the evenings in which she grabbed a quick cheese sandwich before heading to her office to work on a paper, leaving her lovely kitchen to waste away in neglect. How long had cooking and eating been mere uninteresting chores to her, she wondered.

Smelling the onion-rich steam from the rice and the garlicky aroma of the salmon, her stomach growled and she was ready to ask him to never leave. Instead, she sipped her wine and some wicked part of her brain contemplated just how beautiful a young male butt could be.

Food was the way to a man's heart, she smiled – on her it was a way to some other very interesting organs, as well.

Available from Amazon and several other booksellers.

(Not suitable for readers under 18.)

What's Coming in December

This month, I have already lined up several authors for you to get to know, who I know you will love. We'll have interviews with Robert C. Roman, Rhiannon Ellis, and Maureen Betita. We'll have visits from Stacey Thompson-Geer, Pj Schnyder and Christopher Craven, among others, and new insights into how to use BlogTalkRadio from Ashlynn Monroe, and something from Deanna Wadsworth, soon... Though I don't know exactly what it is yet. Knowing her, it will be fun, anyway. ;)

I have some a Holiday Romance Showcase and a bunch of interesting promos scheduled to help you make the most of your ebook bucks, and, as always, will spotlight contests and such around the web as I come across them. I will also be keeping everyone up to date on my own writing, and I hope to launch my "serious" promo campaign for my full length novel, Strings Attached, this month. I've also got New Years resolutions to share, vegan-friendly holiday recipes all month, and some very tasty excerpts, as well.

As always, if you want to join the fun here next month, with an interview or guest blog, please contact me!

As a side note, my Seasonal Tales website is now up and running, so get into the spirit of the season!

Happy holidays, one and all!

12 Days of Prizes!

Head on over to the Wicked Nights website - if you leave a comment, you could win one of a whole whack of neat prizes, all the way up to December 14!

(Including a copy of my holiday erotic-romance, Good for the Goose!)

Unwrapping Scrooge - Trailer!

Unwrapping Scrooge: First Week, So Far

I am very excited to share that informal early reviews of Unwrapping Scrooge have been very positive. I am thrilled that people are enjoying this story. I enjoyed writing it, and I am pleased readers are receiving it well.

It is also now available on Amazon, which I hope will encourage more people to stick this story in their stocking this year!

Thanks for reading, folks!

Happy Hanukkah!

NaNo Post Mortem

Well, I finished my NaNo 50k in good time. I'm at about 59k. The book still isn't quite finished, but I am taking a breather before I finish it off. And, of course, there will be editing to do. I hope it will be ready for submission in January!

I liked NaNo, overall. I didn't find it too difficult, as I usually write 1-2k a day, anyway. The only stress came in having to do it daily, even when I wasn't feeling it. But, I guess, therein also lies the good part about NaNo. No laziness!

Congrats to all the winners, and better luck next time to those who didn't quite make this year. But, even if you just thought about NaNo, you are still one step closer to having your novel, right?

Goodbye, NaNo - Maybe I will see you again next year!