Elusive Holiday Joy – Found!
Joy of the Season Blog Hop is in full swing with rafflecopter giveaway (below), games, prizes and holiday tales. Please stop by, leave a comment then pop on over to the next participating blog (pssst.. just click on the link at the bottom of the page).
As your remember, before the trip to the North Pole, my faith in people was restored by an entertaining sales clerk encounter. We went home and put up the LED lights around the outside tree and planter, hung
lights in the windows, and set timers. Who wants to run all over the house and yard turning on lights each night? Not me! Afterwards, we loaded the CD player with favorite Christmas carols by several well-known artists and decorated the tree. More holiday joy surfaced. As darkness fell, we sprinted outside to see our bright holiday lights shining in the otherwise dark neighborhood. Holiday cheer ratcheted up another notch or two.
Whistling Christmas carols, we scooted inside, flipped on the TV and turned to the channel that shows heartwarming holiday tales from Thanksgiving through Christmas. A mug of hot cocoa in hand, we cozy up on the sofa as the fire in the hearth crackles. The holiday cheer meter soared. I am looking forward to gathering and reading new holiday tales from favorite and new authors to add to the Christmas Spirit. I believe I will dive into the holiday cookie baking with sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, and gingerbread cookies from recipes I found on the holiday hops I’ve participated in. Did you check those out as you popped from blog to blog?
So tell me how is your holiday cheer meter going?
My offering, A Witch’s Holiday Wedding. It’s a feel good story about friends, family, and wildlife rescue with Christmas surprises and cheer!
Here’s a little sneak peek.
After she set her glass down, Lathen brushed a couple strands of hair out of her eyes and searched her face. “Are you all right?”
“I’m tired, my wedding is in a couple weeks, I have ghosts fighting over who is going to do what. Guests that have no idea the place is haunted and… Your family and pack, my parents, Gwen… To top it all off, the head of my clan, who is a ghost, is sitting in front of me wanting to know who is coming to the wedding and whether the ghosts will be outed. How could I possibly be all right?”
“When you put it that way.” Lathen chuckled. “It sounds just a bit… I don’t know…crazy?” His right eyebrow winged up. She saw mischief sparkle in his eyes. “We could still elope,” he offered.
“No sir. Not after all the trouble—Not on me watch.” Aidan shook his head so vehemently his ghostly upper torso blurred.
Available at: Amazon, Kobo, The Wild Rose Press, All Romance, and Barnes & Noble
Holiday joy found. My advice. This holiday season, take a step back from the craziness, put a smile on your face and Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays on your lips. Ignore the commercialism. Set out to make someone laugh each day, and celebrate the reason for the season. Merry Christmas! Oh, don’t forget to visit Joy of the Season Blog Hop, giveaways and free entertainment are good things!
We are giving away prizes to two randomly selected winners: 1) an ebook bundle, including books in various genres by various authors participating in the hop (see the list of books at the bottom of this page); or 2) a $50 Amazon gift card. Please visit the main hop page here to see a list of books included in the bundle.
Enter now for your chance to win!
Next week with my holiday joy found, we’ll take a look at holiday traditions. I’d love for you to share some of your family’s holiday traditions. Look forward to hearing from you. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
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Posted in Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged books, Christmas, Hightway Cafe Blog Hop, Holiday, Joy, Joy of the Season Blog Hop, Tales by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Welcome Author Pamela S. Thibodeaux
Happy holidays to all! Give a big welcome to Pamela S. Thibodeaux, author of Keri’s Christmas Wish. Have a seat and grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot chocolate, hot cider and coffee. Choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and Gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what Keri’s Christmas Wish is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Pamela tell us what inspired this particular story?
I am 100% panster so when I sat at the computer with one scene in mind, Keri scrolling through her newsfeed and grumbling “bah humbug” over the ‘Christmas in July’ propaganda, I had absolutely NO idea where the story was going or what would happen. I was introduced to Energy Medicine a couple of years ago and find the whole concept of healing the body – or actually the body healing itself by correcting energy imbalance–fascinating. Along with EM, I’ve discovered the power of positive thoughts and prayers (see: You can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay). Add to that, my belief in the afterlife and the books & movies affirming those beliefs, and well, this story practically wrote itself. What is so amazing and encouraging for me is that Keri’s Christmas Wish is the first romantic story I’ve written in its entirety since my husband passed away in 2009. Oh, I’ve had things published that were already in the works, but other than a couple NF pieces, it is the only thing written from start to finish. Hopefully this means I’m in a much better place emotionally and other books/novellas/stories are sure to follow.
To discover more about Pamela:
Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com
Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com
Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux
Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux
What can you tell us about Keri’s Christmas Wish:
For as long as she can remember, Keri Jackson has despised the hype and commercialism around Christmas so much she seldom enjoys the holiday. Will she get her wish and be free of the angst to truly enjoy Christmas this year?
A devout Christian at heart, Jeremy Hinton, a Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Spiritual Mentor and Energy Medicine Practitioner has studied all of the world’s religions and homeopathic healing modalities. But when a rare bacterial infection threatens the life of the woman he loves, will all of his faith and training be for naught?
Find out in Keri’s Christmas Wish
Snippet: She awoke in another dimension. Keri had no idea if she was in Heaven, but neither did she fear Hell. Her surroundings were reminiscent of a dense forest at dusk. Shadows danced against a sunset where brilliant colors bled from the sky. A light shone in the distance but as she moved toward it, Keri felt as though she plowed through molasses. Unease pricked her skin. The sound of water drew her deeper into the woods until she stood at the base of a vast waterfall and rapids so swift she dared not attempt to cross the river.
The light grew stronger, brighter. Beckoning.
I need to get to the light.
Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”
Buy Link: Amazon
Pamela thanks so much for popping in today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. I wish you the best in life and with Keri’s Christmas Wish. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Christmas, Holiday, Romance by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Joy of the Season Blog Hop & Highway Cafe Christmas Blog Tour from the North Pole!
Direct from the North Pole, welcome to the Joy of the Season Blog Hop and Highway Cafe Christmas Blog Tour (links to participants and rafflecopter are at the bottom of the post)!
Here at the North Pole it’s extremely busy, but we still have time for a little holiday fun and shenanigans.
Let me introduce myself. I’m an elf and my name is Twinkle Bright because my elf hat has twinkle lights wound all around the scalloped edge and the pointy top.
I make yummy Hot Chocolate for Santa and the elves from a secret family recipe passed down from generation to generation. My hot chocolate keeps everyone warm and toasty inside at the North Pole. There is even an automatic dispenser in Santa’s Sleigh providing him with hot chocolate during his travels on Christmas Eve. It goes good with the cookies the children leave for him.
While I am mixing up large batches of hot chocolate, I listen to Christmas Carols from a variety of pop, country and rock artists. I always taste each batch to insure its up to elf standards.
. You would think I’d get tired of hot chocolate, but no — never. I love the steaming chocolaty drink. I usually keep mine in an insulated mug so it stays warm while sampling the cookies in the elves’ bakery. Frosted sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies are my absolute favorites.
Now, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. But you must promise not to tell…anyone. We do a secret Santa gift exchange around here and this year I got Bob, her job at the North Pole is name checker to make sure Santa has all the correct spellings of the girls and boys. One year she spelled Chrys’ name Chris and wow what an uproar. Luckily Santa caught it, but we had to rush to change all the tags on her packages. Whew! I’m getting Bob a package of 120 different color markers in a jewel encrusted case for marking off the correctly spelled names after she checks them. Do you think she’ll like that?
Do you like fudge? Great, I’ll share with you my favorite Fantasy Fudge Recipe.
3 CUPS OF SUGAR
3/4 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE
1 – SMALL CAN (5OZ) EVAPORATED MILE (ABOUT 2/3 CUP)
DON’T USE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK)
1 – 12 OZ PACKAGE OR NESTLES SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
1 – 7 OZ JAR OF MARSHMALLOW CREME
1 TEASPOON OF VANILLA
YOU CAN ADD CHOPPED NUTS IF YOU WISH.
BRING SUGAR, BUTTER AND EVAPORATED MILK TO A FULL ROLLING BOIL IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. (COOK 4 MINUTES OR UNTIL CANDY THERMOMETER REACHES 234 DEGREES. HIGH ALTITUDE IT TAKES ABOUT 5 MINUTES). REMOVE FROM HEAT AND ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND MARSHMALLOW CREME, STIR UNTIL MELTED. ADD VANILLA AND NUTS, STIR UNTIL WELL BLENDED. POUR INTO A GREASED (I USE BUTTER) 9 X 13 INCH PAN, SPREAD EVENLY. COOL COMPLETELY. CUT INTO SQUARES AND ENJOY!
For leaving a comment on my blog, you will be entered into a drawing for a $5.00 amazon gift card.
Tales of redemption, magic, wildlife rescue, true love and paying it forward will leave you breathless. A Witch’s Holiday Wedding
Elemental witch, Pepper McKay and former Navy SEAL, Lathen Quartz have built Lobster Cove Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on enchanted McKay land. During a romantic interlude on Halloween night, Pepper happily agrees to become Lathen’s wife. What better day than Winter Solstice for their wedding in a town that loves celebrations and Christmas. However, planning a wedding and operating their wildlife center takes a toll on both Pepper and Lathen.
When the couple takes a much-needed break for Thanksgiving with family in Colorado, a Maine snowstorm fills the center with injured wildlife. Lathen finds himself drawn into a covert military mission, while trying to deal with issues concerning friends and family. Pepper wants to cancel the wedding. Is she having second thoughts? Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen’s werewolf pack, Pepper’s parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday plans?
Available from Amazon, Kobo, The Wild Rose Press, All Romance, and Barnes & Noble,
I am participating in Joy of the Season Blog Hop and Highway Café Christmas Blog Tour with prizes, giveaways, fun
and games. Please click on the links to visit the other blogs on the hop and tour for more holiday tales . You don’t want to miss out!
We are giving away prizes to two randomly selected winners: 1) an ebook bundle, including books in various genres by various authors participating in the hop; or 2) a $50 Amazon gift card. Please visit the main hop page here to see a list of books included in the bundle.
Enter now for your chance to win!
Views: 421
Posted in Holidays, My Say What Blog and tagged A Witch's Holiday Wedding, Christmas, Elves, Giveaway, Highway Cafe, Holiday, Holiday candies, Joys of the Season, North Pole, Paranormal, Romance, wildlife rescue by Tena Stetler with 36 comments.
Welcome Author Pam Binder and A Match Made in the Highlands!
Happy Holidays to all! Looking for Holiday/Christmas reads? Give a big welcome to author Pam Binder and her holiday tale A Match Made in the Highlands! So get
settled in, grab an insulated mug. I’ve got hot coco, hot cider and coffee choose your pot, they’re labeled. Pick a Snicker-doodle and gingerbread cookie from the plate. Yep, I baked them myself. Lets see what her Scottish holiday tale is all about. Thanks for joining us!
Pam Binder is an award-winning Amazon and New York Times bestselling author. Publishers Weekly has said: “Binder gracefully weaves elements of humor, magic and romance into her novels.” Drawn to Celtic legends and anything Irish or Scottish, Pam blends historical events, characters, and myths into everything she writes. Pam is also a conference speaker, writing instructor, and president of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.
You can find her at http://pambinder.com
Pam, tell us a little about A Match Made in the Highlands.
Logan Mackinnon, confirmed bachelor, has put his life on hold to help his father care for his mother and honor her dying wish to tour Stirling Castle. Sparks fly when Logan meets Irene Redmond on the tour, and they are both transported back in time to the thirteenth century. But their budding romance is tested when they learn the conditions needed for their return to the twenty-first century. The castle is enchanted and only a marriage between two people who truly love each other will break the spell.
Irene Redmond expected to unravel family secrets, instead she meets Logan Mackinnon, a man who awakens long-ago dreams of a happily-ever-after. But are their feelings strong enough to break the castle’s enchantment?
How about a peek into your Scottish holiday tale?
Strong arms wrapped around her. “Don’t worry,” Logan said. “I’ve go you.”
She clung to his neck as he gathered her closer. She could feel his heart beat against her chest, or was that hers? Random thoughts popped in and out. How had he reached her so fast? Did he think she was clumsy? Too heavy?
Pathetic. He’d saved her, and all she could think about was her weight. Still…
She squirmed in his arms. “Thank you, but you can put me down.”
“And blow my one chance to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress? Not a chance. Besides, we’re almost there.”
Although the bagpipes were louder and she could hear the haunting notes of a flute, the mist was as dense as ever. “How can you tell?” She said.
She felt a rumble of laughter rise in his chest. “It’s a guess. I haven’t a clue.”
You can purchase this lovely holiday tale at the links below:
Thank you so much for stopping by. I love holiday stories. Don’t you? Best of luck with A Match Made in the Highlands! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Check back often for more Holiday release spotlights for your reading pleasure.
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Christmas, Holiday, Paranormal, Romance, Scotland by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
