MyTrue Love Gave to Me…a partridge in a pear tree…...

Chapter One

Callie Hutton

Pemberton Hall

Christmas Day, 1814

She’s here.

A jolt of excitement shot through Marcus, Viscount Weatherby, as he spotted her after scanning the crowd packed into the ballroom at Pemberton Hall. He had carelessly tossed aside the invitation he’d received to the lavish Christmas Ball the Duke and Duchess of Pemberton hosted each year. Then when Penrose mentioned at White’s yesterday that Lady Surrey would be in attendance, he knew nothing could keep him away.

Emma--my Emma.

Almost as if connected by an invisible cord, he headed in her direction, snatching two glasses of champagne from a passing footman. Trying his best to shoulder his way through the crush, he groaned in frustration when ... Read more

Rings of Paradise - $3.30 : Coffee Time Romance Bookstore, Your one stop shop for romance books and authors on the web!

Rings of Paradise - $3.30 : Coffee Time Romance Bookstore, Your one stop shop for romance books and authors on the web!

The holiday season is upon us.

 

Christmas is evident in every town across the country, at every corner of your hometown lights are twinkling in the night. Joyous celebrations are getting ready to begin and we all give thanks for a wonderful year as the new one takes onto new adventures in our lives.  I miss downtown Lake Mills, the sounds of Christmas are heard 24/7 during December.

 

Christmas Legends:

The American version of the Santa Claus figure received its inspiration and its name from the Dutch legend of Sinter Klaas, brought by settlers to New York in the 17th century.

As early as 1773 the name appeared in the American press as "St. A Claus," but it was the popular author Washington Irving who gave Americans their first detailed information about the Dutch version of Saint Nicholas. In his History of New York, published in 1809 under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker, Irving described the arrival of the saint on horseback (unaccompanied by Black Peter) each Eve of Saint Nicholas.

This Dutch-American Saint Nick achieved his fully Americanized form in 1823 in the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas more commonly known as The Night Before Christmas by writer Clement Clarke Moore. Moore included such details as the names of the reindeer; Santa Claus's laughs, winks, and nods; and the method by which Saint Nicholas, referred to as an elf, returns up the chimney. (Moore's phrase "lays his finger aside of his nose" was drawn directly from Irving's 1809 description.)

http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/

 

Santa Claus Legends: 

1.    http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/

2.    http://www.saugus.mec.edu/shs/studentwork/period4/acucuzza/index.html

3.    http://www.currachristmas.com.au/santa-clause-legend.html

4.    http://www.time4me.com/card/legend/SantaClaus.html

 

Christmas Tree Legend:

 

Celebrating Christmas without a richly decorated Christmas Tree would not seem right today.  But why do we have a Christmas Tree, and how did it originate?

Back in the 7th century a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, traveled to Germany to spread the Word of God.  Legend has it that he used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit to the German people. The German people started to revere the Fir Tree as "God's Tree". In the next 5 centuries, the tree became a symbol of Christianity, and was being hung upside-down from the ceiling as a sign of Christianity. 

    

 

More Christmas Tree Legends:

1.    http://christmastreeship.homestead.com/

2.    http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/history/xmas_tree.htm

3.    http://www.christmas-tree.com/where.html

4.    http://www.bronners.com/legendofrose.html

 

Christmas Legends:

1.    http://christmastreeship.homestead.com/

2.    http://www.snopes.com/holidays/christmas/christmas.asp

3.    http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/christmaslore/Christmas.htm

4.    http://www.nicksspot.com/christmas/ch00010.html

 

Christmas Recipes/Treats:

1.    http://christmas.betterrecipes.com/

2.    http://www.cookingcache.com/cat/christmas_recipes

3.    http://www.christmas-cookies.com/

4.    http://www.pastrywiz.com/archive/category/christmas.htm

5.    http://recipes.christmas-presents-ideas.com/

6.    http://www.santaclaus.com/christmas-recipes.php

 

Christmas Movies: 

1. http://www.christmasmovies.us/
2. http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/christmas_movie.html\
3. http://www.santas.net/movies.htm
4. http://www.christiananswers.net/christmas/movies-christmas.html
5. http://www.mymerrychristmas.com/2006/christmasmovies.php

 

This semi-remake of Holiday Inn (the first movie in which Irving Berlin's perennial, Oscar-winning holiday anthem was featured) doesn't have much of a story, but what it does have is choice: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, an all-Irving Berlin song score, classy direction by Hollywood vet Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood), VistaVision (the very first feature ever shot in that widescreen format), and ultrafestive Technicolor! Crosby and Kaye are song-and-dance men who hook up, romantically and professionally, with a "sister" act (Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to put on a Big Show to benefit the struggling ski-resort lodge run by the beloved old retired general (Dean Jagger) of their WWII Army outfit. Crosby is cool, Clooney is warm, Kaye is goofy, and Vera-Ellen is leggy. Songs include: "Sisters" (Crosby and Kaye do their own drag version, too), "Snow," "We'll Follow the Old Man," "Mandy," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," and more. Christmas would be unthinkable without White Christmas. --Jim Emerson

Amazon

 

 

Voices of Rossano Brazzi, Alberto Rabagliati. Santa and Mrs. Claus must organize a series of fund-raisers to prevent the mean old Mr. Prune from evicting them-and cancelling Christmas! Animated. 1966/color/93 min/G/fullscreen.

Amazon

 

 

 

Alastair Sim's tour-de-force performance as the ultimate miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, has almost single-handedly made this beloved version of Charles Dickens' story into one of the best-loved Christmas films of all time. Some of Britain's best filmmakers united behind Sim, who was joined by a delightful cast of accomplished and acclaimed English actors; creating what many today believe to be the best and most faithful production of Dickens' immortal tale. Cranky and curmudgeonly Scrooge learns the error of his unkind ways and is taught the true meaning of the holidays when he is visited by the ghost of his late business partner and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future.

Amazon

 

A charming and wholesome 1950 holiday film about a New York family (led by Durante) who are down on their luck at Christmas time. Shortly before Christmas, they move into a ground floor apartment building where Rupert the squirrel lives in the attic rafters. Just when it seems that the holiday will come and go without so much as a Christmas tree, Rupert acts as the family's beneficent guardian angel - not only saving Christmas, but changing their lives forever. (Originally titled The Great Rupert, the title has been changed to A Christmas Wish, which more adequately describes the story and showcases the delightful holiday theme.)

Amazon

 

 

Alien invaders kidnap everyone's favorite right jolly old elf in this low-budget mixture of children's comedy and sci-fi adventure. Christmas is not far away, and countless children are glued to their family's TV sets, watching reports about Santa Claus (John Call). However, this is happening on Mars, and leaders of the Red Planet aren't sure what to do for their kids who are pining away for a visit from the gift-bearing earthling. Martian leader Kimar (Leonard Hicks) dispatches two of his emissaries, the chronically grumpy Voldar (Vincent Beck) and the moronically cheerful Dropo (Bill McCutcheon), to Earth to bring Santa back for a visit. After arriving on Earth, Voldar and Dropo abduct two children, Betty (Donna Conforti) and Billy (Victor Stiles), and order the kids to show them the way to Santa's workshop, from which all three are taken to Mars against their will. As Santa, Betty, and Billy try to find a way back to Earth, Voldar becomes enraged with the Earth kids, while the children bond more comfortably with the intellectually-challenged Dropo. Shot on a shoestring budget on Long Island, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians has developed a rabid cult following over the years, and yes, it's true, Kimar's daughter Girmar really is played by a ten-year-old Pia Zadora. --Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Amazon

 

 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year, everyone!

 

Christmas Tree Photo provided by http://s249.photobucket.com/profile/s8rgurl12

 

 

Three stories have been submitted this month by three incredible authors.  Check out these blurbs!

 Seasons 1:  Summer Lovin’

Wedding Day Bhlue

Lani Rhea

Contemporary, Erotica 

Susan sets, plans and details her wedding, the only thing missing from the bliss…the groom. An accidental encounter on her solo Bahamas honeymoon lands her on an old flame’s boat. Zak Bhlue owns and operates island tours. Midnight skies and skinny dipping tides heat up the night. All good things have to end but, can their love grow with hundreds of miles separating them?

 

Sarah Janes: Bounty Hunter

Beverley Haynes

Erotic Western Novella 

Wyoming Territory 1876: Sarah Janes didn’t intend to become a bounty hunter, but what is a girl to do when she’s lost her virginity to an outlaw, her youth and innocent outlook on life, and her parents love as well? Sarah arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory filled with gritty determination to make a life for herself, one she can direct and guide of her own volition. She vows to never again run from anyone or any situation. That is until she meets up with an outlaw who has money, power and status. He hungers for Sarah, body and soul.

Seasons 3:  Winter Winds

A Mermaid for Christmas

Claire Hope

Historical Romance

 

October 31. 1934

From the journal of Abram S. Ingelhart

The wreck of the USS Erhart is now smoldering in the harbor. I still smell the stench. The waste of an honorable steamer like the Erhart is without compare, reduced to scrap metal.

The woman is in one of my spare rooms, recovering. Doctor was here yesterday to examine her. He told me it was lucky I was home to rescue the woman from the freezing waters of Lake Superior during that fierce storm yesterday.

She washed up on my shoreline. What was I to do? I could not live with myself if I were to let her die.

Mystery is ever present.

Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she end up washed ashore on my land?

Maybe when she regains consciousness I will have some answers.

Then I will send her away.

 

4 SEASONS OF PASSION UPDATE -- THE QUEEN

Cole Masterson is the lead investigator of GHOST, Ghost Hunters of Spiritual Transcendental and professional ghost hunter who’s aboard the Queen Mary Hotel investigating its paranormal activity and to find out how his great-grandfather's journal, a locket found in his chest and the Gray Ghost are connected. Cole’s about to realize the ship’s paranormal activity can be more than just shadows and cold spots once he starts to learn more about his great grandfather, William.

Hanna Amery is a spirit looking for the man she lost decades ago aboard the Queen Mary during the early 1900s. What Hanna doesn’t understand is how she can see the man with the electronic equipment, but can’t figure out how to communicate with him. She knows her one true love, William, is using this man's body as a vessel to return to her.


I'm very close to finishing on time for the December 21 deadline for my Summer story -- THE QUEEN.  I've used some resources for inspiration during this process and I'd like to share them with you now.  They range from my personal photos to YouTube vidoes to the music of Word War II.

The Isolation Ward plays a part in the story of THE QUEEN and is the first spot Cole starts to wonder for the first time as a paranormal investigator if spirits transcend time. I found this video on YouTube by Dragan3rd and it was quite useful in sparking my memory of my time aboard the amazing Queen Mary Hotel in 2005.

 

As I was preparing to write the love scene between Cole/William and Hanna, I wanted to get in the mood by listening to the music from the 1930s/1940s, did some Googling and found VI Corps Proudly Presents the Music of WWII. I especially found Vera Lynn to fit the mood I was looking for at a critical moment in the scene. I hope you take a listen and enjoy this music from WWII as much as I did.

Now if you're wondering the rest of this series, here's a peek into some of 4 SEASONS OF PASSION--SUMMER coming in 2013 from MuseItUp Publishing.

Seasons 1:   Summer Lovin’	Lani Rhea Wedding Day Bhlue Contemporary Susan sets, plans and details her wedding, the only thing missing from the bliss…the groom. An accidental encounter on her solo Bahamas honeymoon lands her on an old flame’s boat. Zak Bhlue owns and operates island tours. Midnight skies and skinny dipping tides heat up the night. All good things have to end but, can their love grow with hundreds of miles separating them?
	Maxine Douglas The Queen   Cole Masterson is the lead investigator of GHOST, Ghost Hunters of Spiritual Transcendental and professional ghost hunter who’s aboard the Queen Mary Hotel investigating its paranormal activity and to find out how his great-grandfather's journal, a locket found in his chest and the Gray Ghost are connected. Cole’s about to realize the ship’s paranormal activity can be more than just shadows and cold spots once he starts to learn more about his great grandfather, William. Hanna Amery is a spirit looking for the man she lost decades ago aboard the Queen Mary during the early 1900s. What Hanna doesn’t understand is how she can see the man with the electronic equipment, but can’t figure out how to communicate with him. She knows her one true love, William, is using this man's body as a vessel to returneto her. What happens when two dimensions collide as Cole and Hanna struggle to find a way to be more than passing shadows?
	Bev Haynes Sarah Janes: Bounty Hunter Wyoming Territory 1876: Sarah Janes didn’t intend to become a bounty hunter, but what is a girl to do when she’s lost her virginity to an outlaw, her youth and innocent outlook on life, and her parents love as well? Sarah arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming Territory filled with gritty determination to make a life for herself, one she can direct and guide of her own volition. She vows to never again run from anyone or any situation. That is until she meets up with an outlaw who has money, power and status. He hungers for Sarah, body and soul.

Seasons 2:   Fall Leaves

Lani Rhea First and Ten Contemporary First love shows up ten years later. Jillian mans the Fall Festival kissing booth, to save the future school’s athletic department in the small town she loves. Her former high school boyfriend Ryan pays for a kiss. He’s a ruined pro football player with a budding career on the horizon. Sparks bloom and love rekindles but, can last so long when responsibilities are at stake.

Honey Jans October Eve Eve, a reluctant psychic manning her aunts crystal ball booth in New Orleans square, Adam a gritty nightclub owner with a soft heart that gets pestered into having his fortune read by his thirteen year old daughter Haley, who Eve had just rescued after she'd been hurt while skateboarding through the square, and their destiny to be together.

Seasons 3:   Winter Winds	Maxine Douglas Road Angel Paranormal Truck driver, Lee Thomas, believes his life is over after he finds out family killed in auto accident on Xmas Eve. He runs off road on a snowy Wisconsin road on his way to their deathbeds. He crashes; angel comes to his aide and convinces him to fight for his life; driver comes to in hospital where he discovers attending nurse, Cynamon “Cyn” Bedford, is his Road Angel.
	Claire Hope   A Mermaid for Christmas October 31. 1934 From the journal of Abram S. Ingelhart The wreck of the USS Erhart is now smoldering in the harbor. I still smell the stench. The waste of an honorable steamer like the Erhart is without compare, reduced to scrap metal. The woman is in one of my spare rooms, recovering. Doctor was here yesterday to examine her. He told me it was lucky I was home to rescue the woman from the freezing waters of Lake Superior during that fierce storm yesterday. She washed up on my shoreline. What was I to do? I could not live with myself if I were to let her die. Mystery is ever present. Who is she? Where did she come from? How did she end up washed ashore on my land? Maybe when she regains consciousness I will have some answers. Then I will send her away.
	Kay Phoenix Borealis Ardor Valentine’s Day presents can get a little…over the top when your boyfriend suddenly acquires unnatural strength and a permanent case of insomnia. And you, fragile soul, should bundle up.   It can get pretty cold where you are going.

Seasons 4:   Bloomin’ Spring

Debi Wilder Kandi’s Kisses Contemporary/Suspense Erotica Ex-porn star, Kandi, returns to her home town to open up a candy store; she’s a PI on the trail of a serial porn star killer … Jimmy is a reporter who finds out the woman he’s fantasied about is on the “porn star” killer’s hit list. Can he find the killer before Kandi does ….

 

 

 

5 Star Review for Knight to Remember

5.0 out of 5 stars CHIVALRY lives on in KNIGHT TO REMEMBER
October 19, 2012
By Lady Bug Lin
Format:Kindle Edition

I have to begin this review by praising the intensity of this cover. I am a creature drawn to books based on my own visual cues, and I also must confess to having had a crush on Sir Lancelot of Camelot. I always imagined he'd have looked a lot like this brave warrior depicted here. If a cover does not call to me with power and intrigue, I skip by it and move on to a book that DOES call to me.

The cover for KNIGHT TO REMEMBER also teased the mother in me whose son and daughter-in-law chose to marry at the Pen Ren Faire in full costume...giving me a second reason to be drawn to the powerful chivarly of this cover. So with a stunning cover and a call to a time when knights protected and served with honor, I was, of course drawn to reading Maxine Douglas' book.

I am not going to give the story away, except to tell y'all it involves .... Continue

Amazon extends Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in Europe

Amazon extends Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in Europe

Amazon extends Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in Europe

Amazon extends Kindle Owners’ Lending Library in Europe

NOW AVAILABLE

 

Rings Facebook Page / Buy Direct & Excerpt

 

 

Or is it lust?

“Aloe Vera. It’s a great natural ointment with a cooling effect for skin that’s on fire.” He set the tray down on the small, round table next to her. “I could, ah, rub it in for you.” Another teasing smile played on his lips as he picked up the bottle.

Khristen smiled back and looked into his eyes. How sexy and sure of himself he looked as he gazed over the rims of his sunglasses, daring her to resist his charm, challenging her.

“Actually, I have a better idea.” She reached for the lotion and caught a look of satisfaction sweep over his face. With a crooked smile, she softly wrapped her fingers around the bottle and let them linger a moment too long before taking it into her possession.

“Mmmm, sounds very tempting.” He moved in closer to her.

“It is,” she said, reeling him in with her sweet, sexy tone, and placed her free hand on his bare chest, blocking his advance. As much as she’d love to feel his skin against hers, she wasn’t about to play on his web.

“Fortunately, there’s room for only one. You see, what I have in mind is, well...” She could see the anticipation grow in his eyes. “The ultimate total package of soothing the senses, everywhere, and all at once.”

Gathering up her belongings, Khristen walked away, in pain. After only a few feet, she turned and gave him a look of triumph.

His deep, sexy laugh did nothing to dampen her victory.



Rings of Paradise

Pre-order and get 20% off listed price!

“You haven’t formed the love-hate feeling, huh? Given time, you most likely will, same as everyone else has.”

“I’m not sure what you’re driving at, Shadoe. Care to explain it to me,” she asked, clearly annoyed by his flippant assumption.

He’d opened his mouth and spoken without thinking—a bad habit he’d picked up since going back to Hawaii. Ever since they’d met, he’d been unnerved and more than a little out-of sorts in his universe. She made him believe in things he’d thought he never would again.

Family. Children. Retirement.

Excerpt / Buy

Just won a copy of SPLIT DECISION by Andrew Harding!  I can't wait to sink my teeth into it.  Thank you Andrew!

Penguin Buys Self-Publishing Platform Author Solutions for $116 Million

Penguin Buys Self-Publishing Platform Author Solutions for $116 Million

Does Print Fit in a Digital Book World?

Does Print Fit in a Digital Book World?

TV Watchers Use Cell Phones to Read E-Books During Commercial Breaks, Pew Says

TV Watchers Use Cell Phones to Read E-Books During Commercial Breaks, Pew Says

Barnes & Noble Launches Browser-Based Nook E-Reader

Barnes & Noble Launches Browser-Based Nook E-Reader

Indicted Pirate Thumbs His Nose at His Victims, and His Cult Eats It Up

Indicted Pirate Thumbs His Nose at His Victims, and His Cult Eats It Up

Coming August 24

“Are you sure? That was a pretty sensual moan coming from you just before you stretched,” he whispered, leaning toward her so close, she felt the warmth of his breath on her skin.

The sensual smirk on his face irritated her. He was ever more pompous than she’d first thought. “If it was, which I highly doubt…” She watched the Maui landscape come into view over his shoulder. “Rest assured the cause wasn’t you.”

“Or maybe you just didn’t realize it was me,” he said.

The plane’s landing gear bumped the ground. “I think it was you dreaming, not me. After all, you’re the one with the fixation on yourself.”

“Maybe so, only I’m never alone in my dreams.” The sharp and assessing look he gave her sent hot shivers down her spine.

The Gender of Reading Shame

The Gender of Reading Shame

Writer Beware ® Blogs!

Writer Beware ® Blogs!

Writer Beware ® Blogs!: More Money-Wasting "Opportunities" For Writers

Writer Beware ® Blogs!: More Money-Wasting "Opportunities" For Writers

Maxine Douglas: Reviews

Maxine Douglas: Reviews: Review for KNIGHT TO REMEMBER: Charming suspense June 8, 2012 By Edith Parzefall Format:Kindle Edition A Knight to Remember surprised me o...

OverDrive Introduces Browser-based eBook Reader

OverDrive Read™ provides instant eBook access on tablets, smartphones and computers to connect readers with books, authors and booksellers

(Cleveland, OH) - May 30, 2012 - Leading global eBook distributor OverDrive today announced plans to launch later this year a new eBook reading platform, "OverDrive Read." Based on open standards HTML5 and EPUB, OverDrive Read creates a fresh, direct and immersive reading experience offering significant benefits for publishers, booksellers, libraries and schools. Unlike eBook apps or devices, OverDrive Read enables readers using standard web browsers to enjoy eBooks online and offline without first installing any software or activating their device. OverDrive will demonstrate this new eReading platform at ... continue reading

Foreign E-Book Sales Increase 333% For U.S. Publishers in 2011

Foreign E-Book Sales Increase 333% For U.S. Publishers in 2011
By Jeremy Greenfield, Editorial Director, Digital Book World, @JDGsaid
Foreign e-book sales for U.S. publishers turned a corner in 2011, according to a new report.
Sales of e-books by U.S. publishers to readers in other countries increased to $21.5 million in 2011 from $4.9 million in 2010, a 333% increase, according to a report released today from the Association of American Publishers. At the same time, print sales by U.S. publishers ... continue readining

Chip Kidd Offers Book Designing Tips - GalleyCat#more-51163

Random House book designer Chip Kidd gave a TED talk called “Designing books is no laughing matter. OK, it is.” The video embedded above features his entire talk.
Many publishing executives feel that the cover design is the number one marketing tool in their arsenal. Kidd drew on stories from his twenty-five year career working at ... click here to continue

The two women eyed each other, contempt in Issie’s eyes and distrust in Courtney’s. Deep beneath the surface of politeness lay a rivalry with which Reynold was already all too familiar. These two had never liked each other, even as children playing in the courtyard.

A Newbie's Guide to Publishing

Pricing Books and Ebooks
by J.A. Konrath

Some authors still seem to be confused about Agency pricing, what it means, and how does it compare to wholesale pricing on ebooks and paper books. They somehow think Amazon is a bad guy for trying to lower ebook prices.

Here's a deeper explanation. Continue reading

Writer’s Cramp: In the E-Reader Era, a Book a Year Is Slacking

By Julie Bosman (Published: May 12, 2012)

For years, it was a schedule as predictable as a calendar: novelists who specialized in mysteries, thrillers and romance would write one book a year, output that was considered not only sufficient, but productive.   Continue...

#1

Today my Six  comes from Knight to Remember, a time-travel romance set at the Bristol Ren Faire in Wisconsin.

Set Up:

Courtney is watching Reyn in the jousting list.

My Six:

As much as she’d tried to eavesdrop on the two men, the horse had captured and held her imagination. She could feel herself on its powerful back, sheltered in the arms of the Black Knight of Heartsease.

She rocked with the rhythm of the horse’s canter, strong forearms wedging her between a pair of mail-covered arms. A black plume matching the blackness of the arnet flowed in the breeze—a perfect complement to that of the horse’s tail. From under the metal headpiece, long hair fell over a broad width of shoulders. Courtney reached up and ran her fingers over the nicked metal. Slowly she lifted the front plate to see the eyes peeking through the narrow slats…

Wonder if her daydream comes true?  Find out here / Amazon / ARe

Have a need for more? Then check out more of Six Sentence Sunday here.

Brenda and Steve, Authors of Erotica: "Go Publish Yourself! by Katie Salidas. If you sel...

Brenda and Steve, Authors of Erotica: "Go Publish Yourself! by Katie Salidas. If you sel...: Self-Publishing made simple. Get your polished novel ready for Kindle, Nook, or Print in thirty days or less.  Avoid the common stumbl...