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Happy Holidays
from the Stiletto Gang
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Tag Archive for: Christmas
A Gift for You!
by Bethany Maines
It’s the Christmas season. A time to contemplate the things we’re grateful for. (I’m grateful for awesome readers like you!) Meanwhile, you’ve been running around buying gifts for everyone. Isn’t it time someone else gave you something? In honor of the holidays, I have done some arm twisting and procured a coupon for you.
Go here:
Click buy.
Use this coupon:
CP63U
And get High-Caliber Concealer for $2.99. That’s 63% off list price. Coupon expires on January 1st, so snap this up quick! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
High-Caliber Concealer, the third Carrie Mae Mystery is now available for sale in print and digital formats. Join Nikki, Ellen, Jane, and Jenny as they take on their toughest mission yet – a vacation. Nikki’s quiet visit to her grandmother’s farm is disrupted by drug smugglers, her ex-boyfriend and the sudden arrival of her mother (who is obviously hiding something). When the girls and her CIA agent boyfriend, Z’ev Coralles, also land on her doorstep, Nikki begins to wonder if she’s in over head. Can Nikki stop the smugglers, settle things with her ex, and stop her mother and grandmother from starting all out war over the mashed potatoes, all without revealing Carrie Mae’s secret’s to Z’ev? Nikki may be a High-Caliber Concealer, but this time it might not be enough!
Bethany Maines is the author of the CarrieMae Mysteries, Tales from the City of
Destiny and An Unseen Current.
You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.
What Have you Done or Are Doing for the Holidays?
Christmas is coming at our house. Since I’ve gotten old, our celebrations have changed a lot.
In days gone by, I, along with my children, and later grandkids, decorated a big tree and every corner of the living room. Now, my decorations are minimal–for two reasons.
1. I’m old and the kids have grown up and have their own houses to decorate.
2. I have three small great-grandkids who often come to visit. So my major decorations are stuffed moose that they can play with.
In those days of yore, presents were put under the tree and never opened until morning. Often, very early mornings. Now we can stay in bed longer on Christmas morning because we celebrate on Christmas Eve. That’s when we have our celebratory dinner–and open presents.
Who comes depends upon what their plans with what part of their extended family they plan to celebrate with.
No matter who manages to arrive we have a most wonderful time.
And no, I didn’t join the scramble for buying gifts either. My solution for the last couple of years is giving money to each family to spend as they see fit.
We have done some other celebrating. We had a wonderful dinner with the members of my writing critique group and their spouses. Good food and lively conversation.
We attended our church’s Christmas party which is amazingly wild and hilarious tempered with tasty finger foods. Everyone brings a wrapped ornament and the fun begins. I’m sure you’ve all played that game in some form or other–this version is one person unwraps an ornament, the next person can unwrap an ornament or take the first one, and so on. It get pretty wild.
I also spoke to a new Sisters in Crime group about how I’ve managed to write nearly 40 books. That was fun.
So, fellow gang members, tell us what holiday you celebrated or are celebrating and how you did or are doing it.
Marilyn
The Holidays Are Gone – or Are They? by Debra H. Goldstein
The Holidays are Gone – or Are They?
by Debra H. Goldstein
The 2014 holidays, no matter what your faith, have come and gone. The Chanukah lights no longer burn. Remnants of Christmas packages have been shoved into trashcans and folks are beginning to turn off their outdoor lights to save on their power bills. It will be at least six to nine months before radio stations and merchants try to get us back into the holiday spirit. That’s a shame.
It is nice to feel festive. Sharing gifts, eggnog, singing of songs, and general merriment is fun. There is a wonderful feeling when families come together whether in person, through computer links, or on the phone. Even the television ads hone in on the warmth people share at this time of the year.
My heart goes out to those who don’t have enough to eat, a place to go, a hand to hold. What these people are lacking is never so evident as during this time of the year. Red kettles and bells, letters with enclosed envelopes, or requests to “come on down and serve a meal,” bombard us.
Although the holidays have ended – pick one to respond to. I bet, even if only for a few minutes, you’ll feel the joy of the holiday season again.
Happy Holidays!
In Pursuit of Boredom
by Bethany Maines
‘Tis the day before Christmas and all through the house all
the adults were panicking because… apparently, that’s what adults do? I swear when I was a kid there was not
this much holiday panic. Did my parents just have it more together? I remember the cleaning freak-out of
throwing everything in a closet moments before guests arrive, but I don’t
remember all of this “NOT ENOUGH TIME.”
the adults were panicking because… apparently, that’s what adults do? I swear when I was a kid there was not
this much holiday panic. Did my parents just have it more together? I remember the cleaning freak-out of
throwing everything in a closet moments before guests arrive, but I don’t
remember all of this “NOT ENOUGH TIME.”
I don’t mind being old. There are those that say I’ve been a
grumpy old man since I was 21.
Which I dispute; I’m not a man for one thing. And I don’t believe I’m grumpy, so much as, based in a
reality that doesn’t like to admit idiots. Anyway, I don’t mind being old. There’s lots of wisdom to be gained in the aging process,
but I do wish we could go back to the childhood days when I used to get
bored. Being bored takes an
extended amount of time. You have
to have a good run of nothing to do and Wheel of Fortune re-runs to get well
and truly bored. And who has time
for that anymore? I have a hard
time squeezing in the hours to read a good book (let alone write one)!
grumpy old man since I was 21.
Which I dispute; I’m not a man for one thing. And I don’t believe I’m grumpy, so much as, based in a
reality that doesn’t like to admit idiots. Anyway, I don’t mind being old. There’s lots of wisdom to be gained in the aging process,
but I do wish we could go back to the childhood days when I used to get
bored. Being bored takes an
extended amount of time. You have
to have a good run of nothing to do and Wheel of Fortune re-runs to get well
and truly bored. And who has time
for that anymore? I have a hard
time squeezing in the hours to read a good book (let alone write one)!
So for Christmas, if you want to give me a gift – don’t. Or
better yet, give me the gift of not asking me to do anything. Just join me on
the couch for another viewing of Die Hard (a great Christmas movie) and pass
the cookie tin. I wish the same to
you and yours this holiday season!
better yet, give me the gift of not asking me to do anything. Just join me on
the couch for another viewing of Die Hard (a great Christmas movie) and pass
the cookie tin. I wish the same to
you and yours this holiday season!
Bethany Maines
is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales
from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.
is the author of the Carrie Mae Mystery series and Tales
from the City of Destiny. You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.
Christmas Memories
I’m at a loss for words. I have no idea what to talk about once a month, let alone every day. So I decided that I”ll just ramble on and perhaps a blog will come out of this.
So what’s going on? It’s Christmas and the hustle and bustle of the city can be contagious. Everyone smiles, say their manners and just have a real good attitude.
The buildings and plaza are ensconced in trees and decorations and tourists and some natives take pictures to post on social media.
The stores play Christmas music to entice you to spend, spend, and spend. Do you realize that you can walk into a store during the holidays and when you hear the music, it changes your demeanor? I know it does mine. Hearing “Jingle Bells,” “All I Want For Christmas,” “The Christmas Song” all bring back joyous memories and opens that wallet. But that’s okay, because I feel happy and in good spirits.
It’s also the time you sit around you television and watch those movies that you grew up on. Who doesn’t recall “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Frosty The Snowman,” “White Christmas,” or “Charlie Brown Christmas.” Again, just thinking about it reminds me of my youth when all my sisters and my mother were together just waiting for the day that we can open our presents.
After all the presents were opened, and the paper cleared, the family headed to the nearest relative house for the Christmas Dinner and as the years go by, you wait for your chance to finally sit and eat at the adult table. As everyone bowed their heads, we thought of the past year and of our future to start all over again until the next Christmas season rolls around.
Christmas: a wonderful time and full of memories.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday to one and all (to those who celebrate).
Follow dru’s book musing on Facebook for book giveaways, contests, posting about discounted books and some of my reading musings.
Tis the Season to fight technology
(Or why you should never spill coffee into your lap top computer)
by Maria Geraci
Technology and I do not mix. Let me tell you why.
A couple of weeks ago the unthinkable happened. While typing away feverishly on my previous 10-year-old Dell lap top computer, I accidentally knocked over the nearly full cup of steaming hot coffee I’d been drinking.
Although my first impulse was to dial 911, I refrained and instead acted like the quick thinking nurse/slash/author that I am. I turned my laptop over and gave it a few solid whacks on the back (ala the Heimlich Maneuver). It sort of worked. Most of the coffee came dripping out, but I knew that some was stuck in there too and my only alternative at this point was to wait it out and hope that once the coffee dried, my lap top wouldn’t mind too much. Heck, maybe the caffeine might even give it some sort of boost.
Alas, it did not. While it’s mostly workable, every once in while it does this wacky sort of thing (yes, that’s how I tried to explain it to the Geek Squad at Best Buy) and it’s just too unreliable now for a working author. Which means I need a new lap top.
Lesson learned: Liquids and lap tops are not simpatico.
On to my iPhone problems. I am one of those people who own an original iPhone. Yes, I was one of those foolish millions who rushed to buy an iPhone before Apple got their stuff together on the product. Which meant that within the first 3 months of owning the little darling, I had to get 2 replacement phones because none of them worked correctly. By the time I was on my 3rd iPhone I vowed (Scarlet O’Hara style) never to buy one again. But… I did love a lot about it. The keyboard was big enough to text easily, I could get my emails on my phone. I could use it as a camera. Heck, I could even check the weather. I really liked that little phone. Alas, it’s now so outdated that none of the updates will take, which means, I guess that it’s long past time for a new phone. But I’m just not sure I’m ready for a new iPhone. I mean, do I trust them again? Surely, by now they have their act together. Everyone else seems to love the newest versions (including my kids), so I guess I should swallow my pride, forget my hand fisted vow and upgrade to a new iPhone 5 (or whatever number it’s on now).
Lesson learned: Don’t buy the newest product until the manufacturer has a chance to work out the kinks. No one wants to be a consumer guinea pig.
And last but not least… my outdoor Christmas lights have gone wacky.
I love Christmas lights. I put them up the first weekend in December and they stay on until a couple of days after New Years (bah Humbug to those people who take their Christmas decorations down December 26th!).
This season I have 3 sections of lights going a la Clark Griswald. Two in the front of the house, one on the side. All the sections are on separate timers programmed to go on at 6pm and turn off at midnight. The first few days, all was well. Then I noticed one of the front sections was delayed a few minutes. Then the side section started turning on about 15 minutes earlier than the front sections. No problem. I simply redid all the timers, which fixed the problem. For a day or so. Last night the left front section turned on, business as usual. I waited for the right front section to follow. And waited. And waited. Finally, exasperated, I marched outside to see what the problem was. That’s when I found the left front section timer was missing a dial. How did that happen? Beats me. All I know is, I give up. I have 3 healthy beautiful children and a very patient husband who laughs at all my foolishness. I will enjoy the lights when and if they decide to come on.
Lesson learned: Technology might beat me down, but it will never crush my Christmas spirit.
I wish you and your family, a joyous, healthy holiday filled with much love!
A Holiday Rant
From Bethany Maines
The Christmas Season is upon us. The cards are filling up the mantle. The lights are hung. I’m dreaming of Christmas cookies, but
haven’t actually found the time to make them. The tree is decked and if I have to go to the mall again,
someone else is getting decked as well. And I know who it would be – the
Salvation Army bell ringers. I
know that sounds mean, and the truth is that I appreciate the Salvation
Army. I donate to the Salvation
Army. I even sing along during
Guys and Dolls (sit down your rocking the boat!). The Salvation Army is a good
and useful organization… that needs a bell-ectomy.
Those bells are not nice bells. They’re tinny and rung with
a sort of bored, off-rhythm malevolence that creates an aural graffiti for
shoppers. I’m convinced that it is this kind of repetitive, grating torture
that leads to Shopper Rage incidents. A little too many people in your personal space. One too many automated dancing
Santa’s. One more hideous, modern
and sugary rendition of a Christmas classic piped in on the overhead sound
system. One more bell ringer… And snap! The bags and fists are flying. Yup, that Grandma just took down the
teenager with the emo hair and one too many pieces of face jewelry. It’s sad,
but it could be prevented, my friends.
a sort of bored, off-rhythm malevolence that creates an aural graffiti for
shoppers. I’m convinced that it is this kind of repetitive, grating torture
that leads to Shopper Rage incidents. A little too many people in your personal space. One too many automated dancing
Santa’s. One more hideous, modern
and sugary rendition of a Christmas classic piped in on the overhead sound
system. One more bell ringer… And snap! The bags and fists are flying. Yup, that Grandma just took down the
teenager with the emo hair and one too many pieces of face jewelry. It’s sad,
but it could be prevented, my friends.
And what about the shop employees? What have they done to
deserve having their day punctuated with non-stop clanging and noise? These are
the ones who help us find the right size, where they’ve hidden the figs, or
where the last one was buried in the back room. Don’t we owe it to them to protect them from the bells? (Aw, God, the bells! The bells!)
deserve having their day punctuated with non-stop clanging and noise? These are
the ones who help us find the right size, where they’ve hidden the figs, or
where the last one was buried in the back room. Don’t we owe it to them to protect them from the bells? (Aw, God, the bells! The bells!)
I think it’s time the Salvation Army came up with a new
donation scheme. How about for every dollar donated the bell ringer will give
one minute of silence? Some might call it blackmail, but I prefer to call it
“creative finance.” Also, how about investing in higher quality bells? Possibly
if the bells had an actual musical tone they might not be such a blight on the
sound landscape. And of course, it
might help if some of the bell ringers had some musical talent, but possibly
that’s just asking too much. For
now, I’d just settle for one simple Christmas wish – stop ringing the bell.
donation scheme. How about for every dollar donated the bell ringer will give
one minute of silence? Some might call it blackmail, but I prefer to call it
“creative finance.” Also, how about investing in higher quality bells? Possibly
if the bells had an actual musical tone they might not be such a blight on the
sound landscape. And of course, it
might help if some of the bell ringers had some musical talent, but possibly
that’s just asking too much. For
now, I’d just settle for one simple Christmas wish – stop ringing the bell.
Tis the Season
By Evelyn David
The holiday shopping has begun. Chanukah comes EARLY this
year (that’s the thing about the Jewish calendar – it’s lunar, with an extra
month every four years, so it never corresponds to the exact same Gregorian
calendar date from year to year). Sometimes the eight days of the Festival of
Lights coincides with the week of Christmas. This year, Chanukah begins on the
night of December 8.
year (that’s the thing about the Jewish calendar – it’s lunar, with an extra
month every four years, so it never corresponds to the exact same Gregorian
calendar date from year to year). Sometimes the eight days of the Festival of
Lights coincides with the week of Christmas. This year, Chanukah begins on the
night of December 8.
Now before everyone yells at me about Chanukah and gifts –
let me state for the record that I like giving gifts. I like thinking about the
individual and picking out something I know he or she will like. I have fun
wrapping presents. And all of this is in full knowledge that Chanukah is not
supposed to be a Jewish substitute for Christmas. It’s a minor Jewish holiday
and yet…in my childhood, I got a gift from my parents each night, albeit, most
nights it was something very small, like socks or a book. But there was one
really nice, I really wanted it, gift each year.
let me state for the record that I like giving gifts. I like thinking about the
individual and picking out something I know he or she will like. I have fun
wrapping presents. And all of this is in full knowledge that Chanukah is not
supposed to be a Jewish substitute for Christmas. It’s a minor Jewish holiday
and yet…in my childhood, I got a gift from my parents each night, albeit, most
nights it was something very small, like socks or a book. But there was one
really nice, I really wanted it, gift each year.
So I’m not going to be defensive or apologetic about liking
to give gifts – probably even more than receiving them. But here’s what’s not
so great about gifting.
to give gifts – probably even more than receiving them. But here’s what’s not
so great about gifting.
Mailing gifts. Our extended family lives in California , Maryland ,
upstateNew York , Washington ,
DC, andIsrael
The cost of postage or non-USPS delivery often costs more than the gift. Now common sense would be to send a check to all concerned, pop it into an
envelope with a 45 cent stamp (to go up to 46 cents on January 1) and call it a
day.
upstate
DC, and
The cost of postage or non-USPS delivery often costs more than the gift. Now common sense would be to send a check to all concerned, pop it into an
envelope with a 45 cent stamp (to go up to 46 cents on January 1) and call it a
day.
But that’s no fun.
Or I could pick out a gift on Amazon, have them gift-wrap it
for another $5, and have it shipped directly to the recipeient. But unless the
gift costs $25, I’ll also pay shipping costs.
for another $5, and have it shipped directly to the recipeient. But unless the
gift costs $25, I’ll also pay shipping costs.
And I really do enjoy wrapping.
Not the biggest problem in the world. I’d vote for a
solution to war before I’d focus on my minor holiday quibble.
solution to war before I’d focus on my minor holiday quibble.
What’s your gift giving policy?
No gifts
Gifts only for the immediate family
Gifts recipients drawn by lots
Checks/Cash only
Other?
In any case, munching on holiday goodies while I wrap. Sending
all good wishes for happy, healthy, fun-filled holiday season for each and
every one of you.
all good wishes for happy, healthy, fun-filled holiday season for each and
every one of you.
Marian
—————
A Reason to Give Thanks includes: Giving Thanks
in Lottawatah, Bah, Humbug in Lottawatah, Moonlighting at the Mall, The Fortune
Teller’s Face, A Reason to Give Thanks, Sneak Peek – Murder Off the Books,
Sneak Peek – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
A Reason to Give Thanks
Kindle
Nook
Smashwords
Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle (exclusive to Amazon this month)
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Sometimes I Wonder if I’m Crazy
The day after Thanksgiving I jumped on a virtual tour bus with 13 other mystery authors on a 14 day book tour. Of course we started long before the tour began by sending each other information about what we wanted to be sent for each blog post, and then of course we had to comply with the requests. Some of the writers took much longer to get their information sent off. Once it was received, in my case I immediately posted it to my blog with the correct date and time for it to appear.
Once the tour began it was important to promote the blogs as much as each author had time to do it. So far I’ve been promoting my blog with the guest author and whatever blog I’m appearing on that particular day. I’ve also made an effort to visit each of the other blogs and leave a comment.
Many books are being offered as prizes on this tour and some folks who love books, especially those that are free, have begun to catch on and there names and comments are appearing on the different blogs.
For my blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/ I asked the authors to write a post about setting. If you read each of their posts, you’ll see that none of them are alike at all. Some spoke about setting itself, others described the settings of their books. I found it fascinating.
Today I’m appearing on Timothy Hallinan’s blog http://www.timothyhallinan.com/blog/ he’s the author of The Queen of Patpong, a wonderful book.
We have authors of all genres within the mystery field, I think you’ll recognize most if not all of these names:
Beth Anderson, Ron Benrey, Pat Browning, John M. Daniel, Alice Duncan, W. W. (Wendy) Gager, M. M. (Madeline) Gornell, Timothy Hallinan, Jackie King, Jean Henry Mead, Mike Orenduff, Jinx Schwartz, Earl Staggs, and Anne K. Albert who organized this whole tour.
It’s been a bit of work, but I do think it’s paid off. I kept checking my numbers on Amazon for the e-book and they’ve been going down, which is a good thing.
Being with a small press (two, actually), I’ve had to work very hard to promote any of my books. The one I’ve been focusing on for this tour is Bears With Us.
Of course I’ve also been busy with in-person events, some of which I’ve written about on this blog.
All that’s left for this year is spending two days, December 9 and 10 at the Christmas Boutique at the Porterville Art Gallery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I’ve done this several years and it’s a lot of fun. The artists who have their jewelry, cards, pottery, and of course paintings on sale are fun to chat with and their work is wonderful. It’s like going to a Christmas party that lasts for two days.
And in the mean time, I had 13 for Thanksgiving dinner, then the next day hauled the leftovers to may daughter’s so we could do it all again. (Daughter and granddaughters and great-grand daughter had spent the whole night and most of the day shopping for bargains. I was not crazy enough to do that.)
Hubby and have put up all the Christmas decorations we felt like and it doesn’t amount to much.
My collection of moose–not a collection I planned, people just kept giving them to me.
And sort of an Indian display. Oh, we have a small tree with lights that you just have to plug in and the stockings are hung on the mantel, and few other decorations here and there. But with no kids to help me decorate a big tree, not bothering with that this year.
Oh, and about being crazy? This virtual blog tour has taken up a lot of my writing time, but as I tell other authors, if you don’t let people know about your book, how will they know to buy it?
And I think I’ll take this time to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season no matter what you might celebrate, as for me it’ll be a Merry Christmas.
Marilyn