Sunday, December 30, 2018

My final 2018 Giveaway! (aka: What happens when you wake up and realize your blog should've been done today!)


Gah! I woke up this morning and realized today’s the 30th—my blog day on Paranormal Romantics, and I hadn’t written anything. I didn’t even have a topic in mind. Epic fail!

So, here’s what I’ve come up with on the fly: The shortest PNRomantics blog in history, and a giveaway. Winning! for you. Oh, and some of my highlights of 2018 in pictures for you to laugh at…erm, I mean enjoy. In no particular order.



SF Ice Cream Museum
Dinner w/Susan Grant
My favorite roses in my garden


COLLISION'S release!

Hanging out with Gail, Rachel, Vivian, Jeffe, & Lauren in Denver

My dog helping me write Collision


Hawaii

A smoky Scouting for Food drive w/youngest

Palm Springs with my youngest boys
A white Thanksgiving
Dicken's Faire with middle son
Hanging w/oldest son and his lovely gf

Chillin' in Hawaii with daughter

BLUE CHRISTMAS release!




Signing with Ro




GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment to be entered to win a $5.00 USD Amazon egift card! Giveaway ends at midnight PST January 2, 2019. Winner determined by random drawing and will be notified here (in comments) by 9:00 a.m. PST January 2 2019, so check back. Winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Have a safe and happy new year, and a blessed 2019!

Lea

*******

USA Today Bestselling Author Lea Kirk loves to transport her readers to other worlds with her science fiction romance Prophecy series. She’s an avid Trekkie, Gryffindor, and wannabe space explorer. She’s made one foray into paranormal romance with her Magic, NM vampire novella, Made for Her, and hopes to write more stories in this world.

When she’s not busy writing, she’s hanging out with her wonderful hubby of twenty-eight years, their five kids (aka, the nerd herd), and a spoiled Dobie mix pup.

For more on Lea's books (past, present, and future), check out her:


Saturday, December 29, 2018

Trusting Nat ~ A Sanctuary Story by @MeganSlayer #shifters #gayromance #gay #paranormal #erotic #NSFW

I love a good paranormal series and my series, Sanctuary, is one of my favorites. I've been thinking about the series lately and want to get back to it. Seems like there aren't enough hours in the day sometimes. I think I'll make it my goal for January to write the next Sanctuary story then. Like that idea? I do, too. Here's a taste of the series, featuring a shy character and the shifter that gets him out of his shell.


Trusting Nat by Megan Slayer
Sanctuary, Book 2
SuperNova Indie Publishing
Contemporary Paranormal Gay Romance
Novella
M/M, Anal Sex

The key to his humanity is finding his place in the pride.

Sydney came to Sanctuary believing he wasn’t anything other than the runt of the litter. Strengths? According to the others, he had none. But one special shifter seems to think otherwise—Nat. To bring out the brave side of Syd, he’ll need to trust.

Nat has always known he’s a beta. No question. He’s drawn to Syd and wants to find out if their existence at the Sanctuary should be more than platonic. When he and Syd are called upon to bring back more lions from the petting zoo, he not only sees Syd’s true potential, but realizes his true feelings for the fellow shifter.

Can these two shifters forge an alliance and grow together or will their heated experiments between the sheets be the end for them both?



EXCERPT:

“Grab the back of the couch and hold on. This won’t take long.” John maneuvered his hand between their bodies. “I can’t wait to be inside you.”
I can’t wait to see it. Syd slid his palm down his torso to his jean-covered dick. He needed to run upstairs and jerk off, but he didn’t want to miss the show.
“Breathe and bear down on me.” John stroked himself and turned enough for Syd to see what he was about to do. He tapped the pink rosette of Markas’ ass then eased inside. Inch by inch, he pushed into Markas’ body until he sank balls deep. Slow at first but gaining speed, he rubbed against Markas. In then out until just the tip of his cock remained within Markas.
“That’s what I need,” Markas said. “You know exactly what I want.”
“I do.” John nipped Markas’ earlobe. He increased the speed of his thrusts. A fine sheen of sweat glistened on his arms and back.
Syd closed his eyes and imagined himself in Markas’ place, but he wasn’t imagining John fucking him. No. He wasn’t the type to step in on someone else’s situation. He wanted his own man.
A shiver raced up his spine. Who did he want? Nat. Crazy, since he could almost guarantee Nat wasn’t interested. Still, a man could dream.


Thursday, December 27, 2018

The American Writers Museum by L. A. Kelley



Did you know that the United State has a museum devoted to authors? The doors opened in May 2017 on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. The mission of the American Writers Museum is to engage the public in celebrating American writers and exploring their influence in history, culture, and daily lives. Volunteers and staff strive to educate the public about past and present American writers and help visitors explore worlds created by the spoken and written word to instill appreciation for good writing in all forms


In order to motivate visitors’ love of reading and writing and inspire the young writers of tomorrow, the museum has more than static displays. Recent ticketed events include lectures by authors, book readings for children, and performances by songwriters. Field trips are also available for school groups. Write In is an in-museum program for middle and high school students with specially-designed curriculum that uses exhibits and featured authors to encourage creative writing. The AWM also has a Story of the Day exhibit where visitor can bang away on old typewriters. The best will appear  in https://americanwritersmuseum.org/blog/.


Have a favorite author whose home you always wanted to visit? In addition to programs at the Michigan Avenue building, the American Writers Museum has a reciprocal arrangement with twelve author’s homes across the country. AWM affiliates get free admission below for themselves and a guest. If you’re visiting Massachusetts, I highly recommend a stop at both Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House and Thoreau Farm. (Throw in the Edmund Gorey House for a threesome.)

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House, Concord, Massachusetts

The Beat Museum – Jack Kerouac, San Francisco, California

Pearl S. Buck House, Perkasie, Pennsylvania

Edward Gorey House, Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts

Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, Piggott, Arkansas

Frances Parkinson Keyes, New Orleans, Louisiana

Wadsworth-Longfellow House & Garden, Portland, Maine

Will Rogers Memorial Museum, Claremore, Oklahoma

National Steinbeck Center, Salinas, California

Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Cincinnati, Ohio

Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, Indianapolis, Indiana


Thoreau Farm, Concord, Massachusetts




The American Writers Museum is open daily from 10-5. For ticket information and a schedule of exhibits, check out the website at https://americanwritersmuseum.org/


L. A. Kelley writes science fiction and fantasy with humor, romance, and a touch of sass. Her house is her own museum. Donations gratefully accepted at the door.



Sunday, December 23, 2018

The Christmas Kiss by Francesca Quarto

The Christmas Kiss 

The darkness closed around her like a fist. She felt her heart racing, pumping as hard as her legs, as she ran through the woods.  Her old leather boots caught on exposed tree roots and low, creeping vines, causing her to trip several times.  She wiped her bleeding hands down the front of her ripped skirts as she ran, not stopping to examine them for damage.
Is he still following me, she wondered, tearing through some clustered saplings.  Surely he's given up by now.  
 Just then, over the sound of her heavy breathing, she picked up the noise of someone, or something, thrashing their way through the underbrush and intertwined tree limbs.  She dare not pause to listen more closely, but increased her pace, pushing against the implacable wall of trees.
She stumbled nearly head-long, when the black, leafy wall opened suddenly into the small glade she'd run through earlier.  The moon lit the grasses and wild Rose of Shannon bushes that ringed the area.  These shouldn't be blooming she knew, but this was an enchanted place after all.  Even the heavy snow was absent from the rich earth of the woodland. 
Her first instinct was to fall face first onto the cushy grass bed and close her eyes against the terrors she knew followed.  Instead, she took a cleansing breath of the green smelling air in the garden-like setting and sprinted across to the other side and closer to the forest edge.
She took a backward look into the enchanted clearing to spy who followed. Standing in the middle, was a young man wearing a rich looking garment of velvet.  When he called out to her, she scrambled under the sweeping arms of the nearest evergreen.
"Imogene! Cease this reckless dash through this cursed woods.  I mean you no harm, my girl.  On the contrary, I only wish to offer you a special gift this Yuletide.  Won't you show yourself, I know you are listening?"
She heard the strangers words as he called out to her from the glade and crept forward a little ways to take a better look.
He definitely was richly attired and his manner and stance, spoke of a wealthy upbringing.  The moon light was directly over the spot where he stood, watching in her direction.  His face, being lit from above was mostly in shadow, but Imogene cold clearly see he was tall and well-built, slim of waist and broad of chest.  His hair  was a lustrous black, its waves brushing his shoulders.  He looked nothing Ike the monster she had just encountered.
Her misery began with the day's first cock-crow.
Just shy of the dawning hour that very day, an impish looking man, entered Imogene's bread stall, while she set her loaves out for the day. 
He said he was sent to find the fairest young woman, from among the peasants during the village market day.  
"My Master has requested I bring him this girl, so he may bestow great wealth upon her, in exchange for one simple kiss under this sprig of mistletoe."  
The little man pulled the waxy leaves and red berried bunch from somewhere under his cape, leaving Imogene to wonder if indeed, he was an elf of the woodlands surrounding the village.  She was immediately filled with suspicion that he planned on taking her to some Troll. 
When he drew near, she recoiled, lest he touch her.
"I will not go with ye, a stranger and then yet again, to another stranger still!  Ye mistake me for a fool!" she'd told him defiantly.
The little man again reached back under his cape, this time bringing out a leather bag, tied and bulging.  This he upended upon her table, next to her warm breads.  Gold coins spilled their rich glow over the brown loaves and sparkled in the light of Imogene's stubby candles.
"Are ye saying this is for me?" she asked drawing a bit closer.  The little man smiled, showing his pointed teeth just a little, before closing his mouth.
"Tis all yours, Imogene, the minute my Master is granted his Yuletide kiss."
 He temptingly, gathered up the coins and hefted them in his small hand as he exited the booth.
She quickly followed behind, leaving her bread unattended and to the honesty of others.
They arrived at a cottage that looked as if a hermit might live there for all its simplicity and roughness.  "Why, tis not the house of a grand man," Imogene said.
Just then, the door swung inward and the little man gave Imogene a great shove inside.  She was caught up in the strong arms of a hideous creature.  He was greenish of complexion and lumpy in build , with a prominent hump.  His eyes were a flat shade of brown, like horse dung. 
Before she could protest being restrained, the imp was springing up to the low rafters and hanging the sprig of mistletoe. 
The creature leaned in and with his wet, rubbery mouth, planted a kiss on her lips.
Imogene struggled free and dashed from the cottage into the woods and here she lay, hiding for her life.  The bag of gold was not worth the feel of that kiss.  Imogene knew she was lovely, in fact, many of the handsome young men of the village sought to court her.  Why would she allow a hideous creature have her favors when she had her choice of lovers?
Her mind had been wandering over the scene inside the cottage and she almost missed the soft rustle of the twigs and leaves near her hiding place.  
A soft voice filled her heart with dread.
"Imogene, you have earned this bag of gold and I am honor bound to give it to you.  You have given me a great gift this Christmas Season and I would repay such generosity of spirit. I hope this a gift you desired as much as I did mine."
With that, Imogene heard the heavy bag of coins clink as it hit the hard ground in front of her hiding place.   She watched as the well-shod feet of the man, turned and left her, walking back through the woods and disappearing among th shadows.
Scooting out, Imogene was nearly beside herself with joy at this turn of events.  Not only was she safe, she was also rich!  Taking the bag and securing it to her girdle she returned to the village square and her breads.  Entering, she saw her neighbors little boy, who taking one look at her, ran screaming from her stall.  This happened again, when the mother came in to investigate her son's terror at Imogene's hands.
Finally, after a dozen villagers she'd known since birth, came and left as quickly as snow on a griddle, she left for her cottage.  Running into the tiny alcove that made her bedroom she snatched up the only possession left by her dead mother.  The glass was veined and yellowed with age, but showed clearly, the face of the monster that had kissed her under the mistletoe.
After an hour of crying and sobbing and nearly fainting with disgust as she studied her new visage, Imogene opened the bag of coins.  On top of the gold pieces was a small square of rolled parchment.  Imogene lit the candle on her table and read.
 "Be Careful what ye desire this Yuletide Season.  Ye may own it forever more."

Thursday, December 20, 2018

Why Not More Paranormal Christmas Stories?


The other day, I was putting together my December newsletter, and decided to include recommendations for Christmas themed paranormal romances by my favorite authors. Guess what I discovered?

There aren't a ton of Christmas themed paranormal romances out there.

Not like in contemporary or historical romance. There we get an abundance. A plethora. A deluge, if you will. In those sub-genres, an author almost feels left out if he/she doesn't have a holiday romance to offer readers. Most of my favorite contemporary authors have at least one Christmas themed book. And many have multiple. Some even have a yearly offering.

But not in the paranormal space.

I'm not saying there's none. But just not nearly as many. Searching up my various fav authors in the space, I'd say the majority did not have a Christmas themed book. Either that, or it wasn't remotely obvious.

This probably shouldn't come as a shock. It's not like Christmas is associated with paranormal romance in general. We're more about Halloween as holidays go. Right? There's the argument that, in any given paranormal world, Christmas is not a holiday that would be celebrated. Another possibility is that paranormal romance doesn't sell quite as well at Christmas. Readers may be looking for more cosy contemporaries this time of year? I, for one, see a dip with things picking back up in February.

Still, are paranormal romance authors missing an opportunity here?

Ironically, I myself don't have a Christmas paranormal romance (though I do have one under my contemporary pen name). Now I'm starting to reconsider my line up for 2019. Maybe I should add one in. It'll take some thought. Lol.

So, my awesome paranormal family, I request respectfully that if you haven't already, please write a Christmas paranormal romance for next year (or, okay, 2020 at the latest). If you have one, please share in case I missed it in my hunt! Or share your own personal favs. :)

Merry Christmas and I hope everyone has a very happy new year! Here's to 2019 and all the wonderful things it could bring!

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Got Kids? Christmas Vacation Fun for Everyone! by Elizabeth Alsobrooks


Got kids or grandkids with lots of time on their hands over the holidays, especially before Santa comes? Here’s some come in out of the snow and warm up for a while activities you will both like. Rather than just playing video games or playing on their phones, get their brains creating rather than just receiving . . . garbage in.

Creative Activities for Kids (and You!)

Writing Prompts 
1.       Personify your Christmas tree and write a story from its point of view.
2.       Congress is debating a law to ban Christmas.  Write a letter convincing them to keep it.
3.       Make a To-Do list of your top 10 favorite Christmas Activities.
4.       You are one of Santa’s Elves. Write a journal entry for one of your days.
5.       Create a new holiday tradition for your family. Explain it in detail and why it is important.
6.       What is the best Christmas present you ever got? Explain why it meant so much to you.
7.       What do you think Santa would like for Christmas? You can make a list and explain why he wants      or needs each item.
8.       If you could give one gift to every boy and girl in the world, what would it be and why?
9.       What do you think Christmas was like 100 years ago?
10.   An ornament on your tree is enchanted. Where did it come from and what does it do?

Drawing/Color/Paint Ideas
1.       Illustrate the story you wrote above.
2.       The North Pole
3.       Illustrate an ornament, as a gift for someone.
4.       The Best Christmas Dinner Ever
5.       Christmas Carolers

Easy Paper Crafts
1.       3-D Snowflakes
2.       Christmas Tree Ornaments
3.       3-D Christmas Trees
4.       Table Ornaments
5.       Paper Flowerball Ornament 
6.    Paper Plate Art 
7.    Paper Bag or Finger Puppets










And as long as you're thinking about kids. If you or someone you know is interested in writing YA fiction, pick up a copy of this wonderful new YA how-to book! Writing Books make great stocking stuffers!



Friday, December 14, 2018

Night Owl Reviews Top Pick - The Summoning


In The Summoning, I played fast and loose with the religion of a group of people almost destroyed by the Spanish in the 1400s.  Here, I claim poetic license. There is a small number of Arawak Indians surviving in Guyana, only about 15,000, but they do represent one-third of the Indian population in that country.

The tribe of the past were agriculturists who lived in villages of sometime 3,000 and more. I was more concerned with their religion. Their religious beliefs centered on a hieracy of nature spirits and ancestors, somewhat paralleling the hierarchies of chiefs. Bingo! Nature spirits - Ö

The Arawaks were an indigenous people in South America but some of the tribe had migrated to the Caribbean centuries ago.  The Summoning is set in Jamaica - Ö

Eyrael, the hero, is the God of Wind and Sea to this obscure, isolated branch of the tribe. Their Shaman, a young and arrogant man, is one of the villains. I named him Taino after the Indians who migrated to the Caribbean. First villain done. - Ö

The other villain in the story is Sofiel, the God of Fire and Earth. In the other dimension from which they have been summoned, he is Eyrael’s brother. The Shaman prefers Sofiel to Eyrael and is working to eliminate Eyrael from worship by the people. Second villain - Ö

The book required little research, except Jamaica.  I’ve never been there. I needed the color, the sights and sounds—namely the feel of the place. So, off to the internet I went in search of Jamaica.  I think I succeeded because one reviewer said, “The author’s descriptions of Jamaica and of the horse into which Eyrael shifts are detailed and lovely. You hear the hoof beats and feel the heat of the tropics.”

With all my check marks, you can easily see that very little research was needed. Usually, I find that research will deliver much more than I need, and I’ll find myself using sometimes a few sentences.  BUT it does give me the feel of the place or whatever I’m researching and that’s all important to me.

Blurb:

Heather Morique is a witch. The problem is she doesn’t know it. Her husband Jahill was a refugee from an obscure branch of the Arawak Indians. After his death, mysterious whispers lure her to his homeland of Jamaica. Soon, she finds herself in a web of secrets, lies and illusions.

Jahill’s people worship Eyrael, the God of Wind and Sea, and his brother Sofiel, the God of Fire and Earth. The new Shaman has pitted brother against brother, and these two powerful spirits from an alternate universe fight to become the tribe’s ruling deity. Will light or darkness reign?

When Heather unwittingly summons Eyrael, these two unlikely soul mates face a dangerous fate.  The chemistry between them is more disturbing than the long-buried secrets.


***
Buy Link:  Amazon

Happy Friday, All!
Linda  

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Holidays and Space Exploration by Diane Burton


Several years ago, I wrote a short story titled "Christmas in Space" for a holiday anthology on The Roses of Prose blog. I did a lot of research for this short story just to be sure I had facts straight. I even forced myself to rewatch movies like Avatar, Oblivion, Interstellar, and Passengers to learn about the effects of cryosleep. If you've read any of my blog posts, you know what a hardship that was. ðŸ˜Š

After the holidays, I couldn't let that story go. I was fascinated by teams from Earth who were willing to leave everything behind. So, I expanded the short story into a novella, MISSION TO NEW EARTH. What reasons would be so compelling to find a new home for humans? I came up with global warming, depletion of natural resources, earthquakes and resulting tidal waves, even the possibility of a supervolcano in Yellowstone. 

With info from the Mars One Mission, I discovered the requirements and training for my characters who would take a one-way trip to a "Goldilocks" planet--one that is just right for humans. In my story, our moon and Mars had already been colonized, but it wasn't possible to evacuate all Earth's inhabitants there. They needed a place where humans could live as we do here.

United Earth Space Agency was sending three teams that represented the United Americas, Euro-Africa, and Asia to find three Goldilocks planets. The final training for the teams took place on Titan (Saturn's moon).

Even with expanding the story, I kept one detail the same. One team reached a planet beyond our solar system on Christmas Day. I gave that a lot of thought. Not all the inhabitants of Earth are Christian, not even the majority. Since the three teams preparing to locate Goldilocks' planets represented all of Earth, I thought it was important to include mention of other religions.
It was our last Christmas in civilization. That evening, we celebrated with the other teams. A party that combined Earth’s December celebrations—Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Mawlid an-NabÄ«, Dhanu Sankranti, Bodhi Day, even Omisoka because none of us would be here for New Year’s Eve. Secular symbols made sure those who didn’t follow a religion weren’t left out.
World-building for this story took as much time and energy as a full-length novel. I don't regret the effort. The book may be small (in length), but the "message" is important.

One of the characters summed it up at the end of the story.


“As you already know, I’ve never been a religious man.” Tom had made that clear on many occasions. “This voyage has changed me. Since we came out of cryo, I keep thanking God for letting us survive. Now I thank Him . . . or Her—” He glanced at Gloria who had strong beliefs about gender neutrality with regard to the Supreme Being. “—for providing humankind with a new beginning. May we not screw it up the way we did Earth.”
No matter how you celebrate at this time of year, I wish you much happiness.



Would you go on a one-way trip to explore a new planet? Would you do it to save humankind?

In 2172, Earth’s overpopulation and dwindling resources force the United Earth Space Agency to expedite exploration of new planets for a possible new home. When new crises ensue—a giant tsunami and the threat of nuclear winter—the timeline changes. Eight years of training crammed into four.

Sara Grenard and her team prepare for launch, but are they ready for the one-way trip? Will the Goldilocks planet prove just right for Earth’s inhabitants? Before time runs out.




Friday, December 7, 2018

After NaNo by Jane Kindred

Well, I made it through NaNoWriMo! And I actually won it this year. (Winning consists of hitting the 50,000-word mark by midnight on November 30.) I was only at 28,000 words by the final week, but I had taken that week off work, so I knuckled down and started writing at double speed. Even so, by the second-to-last day, I was still 12,000 short.

I was ready to accept that I wasn’t going to win. After all, the effort wasn’t completely wasted, since 38,000 new words was still a lot compared to how long it had taken me to write the first half of the book (I started NaNo with a book in progress at 50,000 words…that it had taken me five months to write). But then I just decided to go for broke and see what I could crank out without pausing. I literally had to write for eight hours straight both days, because I am not a word sprinter. Those last 12,000 words are pretty close to what a monkey would bang out at random, but somehow, I did it, with literally one minute to spare when I updated my word count on the NaNo website.

My book, naturally, thumbed its nose at me and informed me that I had a few more thousand to go. But by December 3, I had a complete first draft at 103,800-some words.

Now comes the fun part: fixing the mess. It took me so long to write the first half that I kept forgetting details from earlier in the story since I wasn’t keeping a running document of my thinking process alongside it like I usually do. (Which is how I “plot.”) So now I get to go through and try to make everything fit together. My characters’ hair and eye color and skin tones changed several times, the settings and time of year changed, and some of the names changed. There were even a handful of characters I created during that 12,000-word stretch that I didn’t bother to name, leaving placeholders like “Some Guy” and “Second Girl”—and there’s one secondary character who was just “Dude” throughout the whole book. I still have to name the world, the realm, and the city, along with streets and taverns and mountains. And I’m still not entirely sure how the magical system works—or the technology. And, weirdly, there are no animals in this world, except for a pair of reindeer that I forgot about after the second chapter. Some of that will be easy to slip into the story, but some of it may mean an entire rewrite.

But there are two things I feel like I absolutely need to add for the story to be complete: an epilogue and a prologue. I often include epilogues in my fantasy, because the ending is usually the defeat of an enemy or the destruction of an evil empire or the end of a quest, and I like to add a couple of pages that take place sometime later when everything has settled down to show how it all worked out for the characters. (Or, if I’m planning a sequel, to drop something unexpected and unsettling in there, because I’m evil.) But prologues are another thing altogether. I usually (though not always) hate them when I encounter them in the wild, so I’ve rarely included one. I figure the story should start at the right place, and if you need a prologue...it probably didn’t. But this time, since the world is one of enchantment and lies, I’m thinking a “before it got like this” scene would help readers relate to the characters more.

So what say you, good people? Prologues: yea or nay?

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Give a Priceless Holiday Gift to Yourself & Others

The holiday season is upon us and generally that means there’s at least one person, if not more, that you're challenged to find the perfect gift to give.  Then there are some that you may not want to give a gift to at all. 

The holidays also often mean a time of increased stress, too many obligations, too little time, and too much overindulging, which can lead to a month of frustration. 

Perhaps this holiday it’s time to look a little closer at the magic of the season. To think beyond material gifts and give something  priceless that can benefit ourselves as well as the beneficiary. 

 

Priceless Gifts to Give


What gift do you give to the person who has everything, or someone that you don't even know to make their holiday a little more joyful?

More Patience- Before you get frustrated with the line you must wait in, or the crowds, remember that we’re each dealing with our own stressors every day, not just during the holidays. 

Holidays just happen to be able to bring out the worst in some people, but give the benefit of the doubt and consider that there may be underlying reasons. This could be someone's first holiday season without a loved one, or perhaps someone is ill, or family is unable to be home due to finances or deployment. Don’t add to their frustration, or your own, by losing your patience.  

A Compliment or a Smile-  Just like negativity can spark a bad mood, smiles and being pleasant can be contagious. Give someone the gift of a compliment—it may be the only kind thing they hear today. 

Forgiveness- This gift has the power to allow you to find more joy in the holiday season and all year long. 

What to Return 


ResentmentAnger & Grudges – Often the things we want the least, that hurt us the most, are the hardest to let go. Don't continue to regift these painful emotions. These feelings only hurt ourselves and can destroy relationships. 

Don’t wait until it’s too late to return these so you can gain the gift of discovering peace. 

 

Give a Helping Hand


Write Reviews- You’re heard many times before how much authors value reviews, but it’s not just authors who benefit. We all do. Writing a review for any product benefits you, too. 

If you’re like me, you do much of your shopping online, or you at least do a little online research before you decide what to buy. Reviews for any product help make decisions on what’s a good gift, or one that wouldn’t meet your expectations. If we all take the time to review most of the products we buy, it can save us all time in choosing quality, appropriate gifts for our loved ones—and ourselves. 

Other Ways to Win a Gift for Yourself


It seems that when I start holiday shopping, that’s when I find things I want for myself, but I feel guilty because I should be buying for others. Here are a few contests that you can enter to try to win a guilt-free prize for yourself.

 

Hurry- this contest wraps up on December 5th


 Your chance to win a Kindle Fire 7 Tablet$25 worth of ebooks from Amazon (winner’s choice, up to 5 total books) - $20 Amazon gift card$15 worth of ebooks from Amazon (winner’s choice, up to 3 total books)- $10 Amazon gift card  Enter Right Here





Make Your Month More Merry 


Enter Right Here for your Chance to win a kindle fire or echo dot



What's the Best Gift You Ever Got?


Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her websiteFacebookTwitter

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