THE GREAT CHRISTMAS FLOOD

We were so excited the boys slept until 7 on Christmas morning. And then we went downstairs.

Our entire kitchen was flooded. Our fridge sprung a leak in the middle of the night, and we were left with standing water on our hardwood floors. Joy, yes?

Hubba Bubba managed to undo the water from the fridge - the one we fixed last year when the defroster went out and, you guessed it, leaked all over the kitchen.

I hate this fridge. Why does it break all the freaking time? It is 6 years old. AND, to top it all off, GE can't come fix it until New Year Eve.

On the good side, BabyBoy said Christmas was a 'dream come true'.

Check me out...

I'm winding up the PHS FinDaBoo program, plus there are tips from Presents authors on how to rock the I ♥ Presents Instant Seduction contest.

Thursday 13 :: 13 ways to find my blog

1. lines from romance fiction novels (my T13 first lines post)


2. international disturbed people's day


3. free romantic reads (from the sidebar, I guess)


4. christmas sleighs with popsicle sticks


5. The Girls Next Door (this makes me laugh every time)


6. jenna


7. pink b-day cake (I stole this from Dana. Wonder if she gets hits from that cake as well)


8. lovely romantic onliners for your girlfreinds (sorry ladies)


9. online writing contests


10. rr and rw challenge: 2008 (my reality TV addiction strikes again)


11. tracy montoya (?)


12. spying in high heels on usa network


13. stories that warm your heart (awww...)

I am glad to be getting so much blog traffic as of late...not sure how to parlay it into anything but numbers, though.

Hop on over

...to the Samhain blog and see what these pictures have to do with anything...

The Giving Season

I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year. On one hand it is cold and wet and I would like to just snuggle under a blanket with a book and a cup of tea. On the other, there is so much to get done (even though all my holiday shopping is done - Hubba is another story. He still has his folks and the stockings to do...but I'm going to let him this year. I am!) that I never seem to find the time.

And don't get me started on cleaning. I think I hate it more than most, and then today I hurt my back cleaning...and found out my carpet cleaner was being held together with electricians tape. Grrreat. So, the carpets are still icky and my back hurts.

Even with all the holiday hassle of crowds and cleaning, there are opportunities at this time of year that don't come along every day. Charity organizations make it easy to contribute, and to show you children how to give back. There are always food drives (which is fun to see which foods my kids want to give, it is either the uber healthy or the junk), giving trees (which I understand why they want all new things, but if they let us do gently used I could give a HUGE box), the annual room clean-up to get rid of the toys not in use and make room for Santa's gifts, and this year because of a tragic flood, Bay's school is collecting school supplies for a local elementary school that lost everything.

And there are always the Salvation Army bell ringers. Great time of year to clean out the change from your car.

I love Kristi Gold.

No, I've never met her. But I'm researching technique as I prepare to start a new story, and she is one of my personal faves for writing Alpha males. (House of Midnight Fantasies, anyone?) Lucky for me, she wrote an article on writing the Alpha male...

I liked it so much I wanted to see what other articles she'd written and found one that really touched me and the year I've had, When Life Is Tough. It didn't turn me around, but it did let me know that someone else has come through the depths of it and their career has thrived.

It's all about positivity. My grandmother loved romance novels so much she never gave up her Nora Lofts novels, she designed romance novel covers in art school. I want that office I can decorate with those drawings. My grandfather and my aunt both found such light and enjoyment from my becoming a romance novelist. They both thought it was such fun, I need to embrace that feeling and see what I come up with.

One of these days something I write will be light, fun, and flirty again.

Congrats to the EPPIE finalists

I had nothing to enter...but some of my friends made a very good showing ::

Contemporary Romance

Perfectly Good Nanny - Paty Jager, The Wild Rose Press
Bride Of The Emerald Isle - Trish Wylie, Harlequin Romance

Historical Romance

His Majesty, The Prince of Toads - Delle Jacobs, Awe-Struck eBooks

Inspirational Fiction

Meagan's Chance - L. C. Monroe, Samhain Publishing

Poetry

Phaze in Verse - Kally Jo Surbeck, Will Belegon, Aurora Black, Kara Fey, James Buchanan, N (Nelli Rees), Michelle Houston, Eden Bradley, Sapphire Phelan, Alessia Brio, Charlotte Boyett-Compo, Missy Lyons, Dahlia Rose, Jenna Allen, Victoria Blisse, Kathryn Lively, Brenna Lyons, Sarah Winn, Mundania Press/Imprint – Phaze Books

Science Fiction/Futuristic Romance

Falling - Imogen Howson, Drollerie Press

See all of the EPPIE finalists.