Thanksgiving is Just over and Now Everyone’s Talking Christmas

/in /by

This year is flying by way too fast.

For the Thanksgiving holiday we went over the hill (Interstate 5 which connects the Central Valley where we live to Southern California) and through the orange groves (Fillmore, Santa Paula, Oxnard) to Camarillo and my youngest daughter’s home. We went on Thanksgiving morning as she was having dinner at 5 p.m. to accomodate my eldest daughter and hubby and a granddaughter and her family who were coming in from San Francisco on their way home. A lot of people were traveling the same way we were.

We stopped for lunch at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Fillmore, El Pescador, which was only going to be open until 2 p.m. so all the employees could celebrate Thanksgiving.

After our arrival at daughter’s home we got to spend some time with grandson who was visiting from Aspen where he’s a police officer and his girlfriend and we also met our youngest granddaughter’s boyfriend. Before dinner people began pouring over the ad papers deciding which Christmas sale they wanted to hit.

Dinner was scrumptious and most of us played Estimation afterwards. At midnight, two of our group headed off to the Outlet Mall. (I was in bed by this time–but ever so often I’d hear the garage door open and close because people had different time and store destinations.)

At 8:30 a.m. I went along with a group to another mall to see what we could find in the way of bargains. I did find a present for one of my granddaughters.

We came back to daughter’s to eat leftovers–yum. Spent one more night, then headed home along with thousands of others.

Everyone I know has been sending me emails or posting on Facebook that they’ve already put up all their Christmas decorations. Not me. I wish I could wiggle my nose and have it happen. I find that every year I put up less and less knowing that whatever I put out will have to be put away.

I love Christmas and all it stands for–but the older I get the harder it is to do all the things connected with the celebration. I just wish it didn’t start before Thanksgiving is even over with.

I must confess I have done some Christmas shopping–but now I have to wrap the gifts.

Sounds like I’m complaining and I guess I am. Back in the olden days (my olden days) I always had big kids around to help me wrap. All those kids have grown up and are now doing their own wrapping.

In any case, you might as well tell me what you’ve done toward Christmas and whatever holiday you may be celebrating.

Marilyn

Festival of Lights

/in /by

“Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead might well have been talking about the Maccabees, the Jewish insurgents who led a revolt against King of Syria Antiochus IV, in the second century BC. It is this triumph of a small group of Jews against the Seleucid Empire that is celebrated at Chanukah, the Jewish festival which begins this week at sundown on Wednesday.

Thanks to Wikipedia, let me recount quickly why Jews light a menorah, play dreidl, and eat latkes.

Chanukah (and it’s spelled a multitude of ways Hanukah, Hanukkah, and my preferred way of starts with a “c” and only has one “k”), marks the time when Jews regained control of Jerusalem and then rededicated the Temple after its desecration by Antiochus’s forces. It was the equivalent of David slaying Goliath. But that wasn’t the only miracle that Chanukah celebrates. When the Jews regained the Temple, there was just one vial of consecrated oil left to light the eternal flame in the Temple – and it takes eight days to make fresh holy oil. But the small amount which should have lasted one day, lasted eight. Therefore we light a candelabra known as a menorah that has room for eight candles and, one more a Shamash, an additional candle that is used to light the others. We light one additional candle each night so that by the eighth night the menorah is fully ablaze. We place the candles in the menorah from right to left because Hebrew is read that way (the opposite of how English is read).

Dreidl, a four-sided top with a hebrew letter on each side, is played to commemorate how Jews, forbidden to study Torah, used to meet secretly to learn. But if soldiers approached, the Jews would begin playing with tops, so that it looked like they were gambling, not studying. Each side of the dreidl has a Hebrew letter that together represents the statement, Nes Gadol Haya Sham, “A great miracle happened there”.

During the holiday, we eat latkes and other fried foods (like donuts) to remember the miracle of the oil.

Gift giving is a tradition, not a religious dictate. Like many families, my husband and I have always tried to walk that tightrope of giving gifts to our kids without forgetting the real purpose of the holiday. It’s an inspirational story that carries a message far beyond what happened all those many years ago. It’s a reminder that each of us can make a difference.

As we light the first candle on Wednesday night, we’ll draw strength from those who went before us who remained firm in their convictions, despite the overwhelming odds against them. We’ll sing about the miracle of the oil and we’ll rejoice in being together.

Below is my recipe for latkes – Enjoy!

Latkes
4-6 large potatoes, peeled and shredded (a food processor makes this much simpler, but you can use a hand grater)
1 small onion, grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of baking powder
Oil for frying

Grate potatoes and then squeeze out all liquid.
Add grated onion, egg, flour, salt, and baking powder.
Drop by teaspoonfuls into hot oil. Fry on both sides then drain on paper towel.
Serve with applesauce. I also serve with sour cream.

Marian, the Northern Half of Evelyn David

Note to our readers:
Today is cyber Monday. Gift shopping has never been easier. You can order online The Sullivan Investigation Series or the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries. A good mystery is always a welcome present. Enjoy!

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Please Like Me Anyway

/in /by

by Rachel Brady

Three things never get easier for me:

1. Small talk
2. Fundraising
3. Book promotion

I can’t grow plants, carry a tune, or do plenty of other things either, but the things on this list seem to present the most handicaps for me in life.

Small talk is tiring. Expending energy to have non-conversations exhausts me. I prefer to save my enthusiasm for other exchanges that actually have a point, or at least some real, honest-to-goodness entertainment value.


Fundraising is an enigmatic blend of Love and Hate. I want to support all my causes and be a part of the solution, but how do I do that without annoying humankind? I don’t like making shoppers avoid eye contact or causing homeowners to feign absenteeism when I ring their doorbells. (“Just give me your order forms, kids. I’ll buy all the cookies myself.”)

But the worst is book promotion. Don’t tell my publisher, but I would rather stab myself in the eye with a pencil.

My first book was in print before I told anyone I knew that I liked to write. Admitting to trying to write a novel felt pompous somehow, so I did all my writing in secret. This was fine until it actually got published. Then I wanted everyone to know. But I didn’t want to have to be the one to tell them. It is strange how something that was personally so rewarding also made me extremely self-conscious.

Letting the world know that a new book is out, for me, sounds something like this: “I wrote a book and I hope you will read and enjoy it but don’t misunderstand me I’m not pressuring you to buy it oh nevermind forget I brought it up please like me anyway here’s my card.”

In publishing, they tell us that nobody will buy a book they don’t know exists. Authors are encouraged to market ourselves, speak widely (I think this includes small talk), maintain a web presence, use Facebook, tweet like crazy people, place ads, schmooze, network, hob-nob, and wash cars on street corners in bikinis. Whatever it takes to get the word out.

It really suits some people. For me, everything about book promotion feels uncomfortable and awkward so I’m trying to think of creative ways to get other people to do it for me. I’m bartering books for banter over at my blog for the next week. And I would would really appreciate it if you guys would stop over and help me out.

I’ll give away a book here today too. Leave a comment to enter. It shouldn’t be a pep talk like, “Go get ’em! Be confident!” because that doesn’t work on me. Rather, I think the signed copy will go to the commenter with the best “Foot in Mouth” story. Because, really. Who doesn’t enjoy a good Foot in Mouth story?

One last thing. If you are a librarian or book club groupie, or if you know one, I always have a standing offer to send a signed copy of either of my titles to folks who introduce Emily Locke to their reading groups.

This concludes my awkward “I have a new book out” post. Please like me anyway.

Santa, Baby, by Misa

/in /by
It’s Thanksgiving… Happy Turkey Day!!!


Along with fabulous food and family, Thanksgiving means it’s officially okay (in my book) to begin thinking about Christmas. I like to finish one holiday before I move onto the next.


This year I’ve already done something special… a Santa making class with my mom in a nearby historic town. It was awesome.


We started with nothing.


Then we cut, sewed, and stuffed.


On a sewing high…

Next we added a face and beard.

Then we adorned.

Adorning is the best.

These are some seriously cool Santas. Theysell for $200 !!!! And now I know how to make them. Granted, I need materials. Beads and trims and fabric, oh my.


Teacher gifts, here we come! (although they’ll be a less expensive, teacher-y fun version)


Now that Thanksgiving is upon us, which means Christmas is around the corner, what do you do to get into the holiday spirit?

Misa Ramirez / Melissa Bourbon

Get free books at Books on the House!

It’s All about the Turkey…and the Blessings

/in /by

Here at the Stiletto Gang, we’re a very close group, even though we all live in different parts of the country. I’ll speak for all of us when I say that we’re all very thankful to be together. I, for one, learn something new every year about one or more of our members, but I always want to learn more. Like, do you eat cranberry sauce out of a can, too? Or is there a difference between yams and sweet potatoes? These are the things that keep me up at night so I posed these and some other questions to the other members of our blog. See what they have to say below. Oh, and happy Thanksgiving. We are so grateful to have you all in our lives, too!

(My answers are in parentheses. Because that’s how I roll.)

1. What are you thankful for this year? (My health, my great family, a new book [pubbed on Tuesday!], an everything else that makes me so, so happy.)

Marilyn: For my family and for all my blessings.

Rhonda: Thankful for my family, that my eye surgery is done, that Marian is well and we’re writing like crazy again, and that the state agency I work for (my day job) survived the budget cuts of 2010.

Susan: I’m thankful that my mom is okay after her breast cancer diagnosis, and she’s doing so well. I’m very grateful as ever for my friends who keep me propped up when I need it! And for my husband who’s the best guy I’ve ever met in my life. Oh, and I’m a little happy, too, that I got one deadline met (two to go!).

Rachel: Healthy children and a steady paycheck.

Marian: I have so much for which to be thankful, good health (poo, poo), wonderful family, incredibly supportive friends, and now the most delightful grandchild, Ms. Riley Giselle.

2. Sweet potatoes or yams? Do you consider them the same thing? (I don’t know the difference…that’s why I asked.)

Marilyn: Sweet potatoes, don’t like yams nearly as well. We have baked sweet potatoes a lot during the year and candied sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving.

Rhonda: Yep – I consider them both “baaaad.” Grin.

Susan: Aren’t they the same?

Rachel: Yes, sweet potatoes. Yes, yams. Yes, call them whatever you want. Another helping, please.

Marian: I consider them the same thing and it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without them. On the other hand, except for Turkey Day, I can pass on sweet potatoes the rest of the year.

3. Is turnip included in the meal? Does anyone eat it? (Yes…and yes…but I make my mom make it because I don’t know what a raw turnip looks like.)

Marilyn: No turnips.

Rhonda: Nope. No one in my family eats them.

Susan: Um, no. I had no idea turnips were part of Turkey Day until this minute.

Rachel: No turnips. Fast forward >>> to pumpkin pie.

Marian: Hey, don’t knock the turnip. I love ’em…and so does my husband. But all offspring of ours think we’re crazy. On the other hand (and how many do I have), those same offspring eat raw fish which is inconceivable to me.

4. Family culinary tradition that you must include? (Ours is canned cranberry sauce…if it doesn’t have the lines from the can on it, it’s not good.)

Marilyn: Most want the green bean casserole.

Rhonda: Stuffing – must have stuffing or you can forget the whole thing. My mother makes it in muffin tins – great for individual servings and reheating later as leftovers. We also have a cranberry, apple, cherry jello ring that is wonderful.

Susan: We do the canned cranberry sauce, too! Love cutting it along the ridges. Green bean casserole with french onions and cream of mushroom soup. “Corn crap,” which is one of my mom’s specialties (it’s corn casserole). And always pumpkin and pecan pies.

Marian: The aforementioned sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.

5. What secrets to a delicious holiday meal do you have? (I brine…trust me, it makes a difference.)

Marilyn: My secret this year is going to youngest daughter’s for the Thanksgiving feast.

Rhonda: Mom starts defrosting the turkey about 3 days ahead of time in an ice chest in the garage. She floats it in cold water and changes the water when it gets warm. Thanks to Mom none of us have gotten poisoned by bad turkey yet.

Susan: I’m not allowed to make anything except occasionally I’ll do an organic take on the green bean casserole or do a broccoli crunch salad. Otherwise, my family is afraid to let me touch the turkey.

Rachel: Someone other than me should cook.

Marian: I don’t brine, but my son does. I leave it in his good hands. Best secret of a holiday meal? Don’t worry about the food, focus on the people around the table. I honestly wouldn’t care if we ate bologna sandwiches as long as we are together. Well, together and there’s something chocolate after the bologna.

6. Does anyone eat dark meat in your family? Are they considered an outcast? (I’m a dark meat eater and definitely not an outcast…if I’m not getting enough attention or it seems like I’m heading towards outcast land, I just throw up some jazz hands at the dinner table.)

Marilyn: White meat is the favorite, but the dark meat get eaten too, we always have to so many people.

Susan: I can’t recall if we have any dark meat eaters. Sounds like Voldemort’s gang in Harry Potter, doesn’t it (the Dark Meat Eaters)?

Rachel: Dark meat is what kids are for. Keep the ruse up until they get wise to you. I guess that’s another thing I’m thankful for.

Marian: Again, with the assumptions. Yes, someone in my family eats dark meat, in fact prefers it…and that’s me. As to whether I’m an outcast, don’t forget who generally brings the chocolate.

7. Worst Thanksgiving ever? (Ours was when our eight-months pregnant mother fell down the stairs with the turkey. Now, I’m not sure why she was traversing the stairs…I think it had something to do with a broken oven and the use of the next-door neighbor’s oven, but I can’t remember. I’ll have to find out.)

Marilyn: When we had to go out and eat because I was working.

Rhonda: I think the worst one was when we were at my grandmother’s house when I was about 8 or 9. It was very cold outside. My dad’s cousin showed up right after dinner and – unbeknownst to anyone else – let his dog stay in the enclosed back porch area while he visited in the main part of the house. My grandmother had the leftover from a 26 lb. turkey cooling in a roaster oven on a table in that porch area. Well, you can imagine what happened. Lots of yelling, an overstuffed dog, and no leftover turkey for us that year.

Susan: I’m sure I’ve blacked it out by now.

Marian: Can’t think of any that were outstandingly bad. I know the first Thanksgiving after the deaths of my parents were harder than I could ever have imagined.

8. Best Thanksgiving ever? (I think it’s going to be this year.)

Marilyn: Any where a lot of family can come.

Rhonda: Probably the same Thanksgiving. Grin. It was very exciting.

Susan: Every Thanksgiving since I met Ed. I love getting together with his family and mine. He has a BIG family, and it’s so fun to see everyone, their spouses, and their kids and catch up.

Marian: Every year. This holiday is a lovely reminder to be thankful for the blessings in my life.

Nearing the End of My Latest Book and…

/in /by

The small publisher I’m with for my Rocky Bluff P.D. series doesn’t give me deadlines. Because I always manage to finish and send a completed manuscript off to her in a timely manner she’s never asked me to have it completed by a certain date.

The one I’m working on now I’m having trouble finishing. I’m only pages from the end, but I don’t want to write what I know has to happen.

This is kind of a departure from my other Rocky Bluff P.D. novels, usually they’ve focused on the lead detectives and their families. The one that is coming out at the beginning of the year is really Stacey Wilbur’s story as her wedding day draws near.

But this book is all about Officer Gordon Butler. He’s kind of been the buffoon through several books with nothing working out for him from his wife running off with another police officer to wrecking a brand new police car. Readers really like Gordon, and feel sorry for him, and I thought it would be fun to put him in the spotlight for a change.

What I wasn’t counting on was the fact that he is still the same Gordon Butler. Maybe because I’m the writer I thought I was in control, but as so many of us learn as we write that the characters tend to take charge and do their own thing.

I’m determined to finish this book before the end of the year. By giving myself a deadline, I hope it will happen.

Another problem with this book is I almost always have a title right from the beginning–this time I haven’t a clue what I’ll call it. Since my critique group is hearing this one now, chapter by chapter, I’m hoping they’ll help me come up with the perfect title. I know that often the big publishers will change an author’s title for a book–but I’ve never had that happen with any of the small publishers I’ve been with.

So, wish me luck as I run out of things I think I have to do before I work on the last chapter of this book.

Marilyn
http://fictionforyou.com/

The Blessings of the Season

/in /by

I’m not sure how it can be Thanksgiving already. I haven’t even changed my closet from summer to winter, so how can it be time to roast a turkey?

Time flies when you’re having fun and actually the last few months have indeed been fun. I like what the collective Evelyn David is writing…actually I like that we’re writing at all. It seemed like we hit the pause button over the summer, but then took off at lightspeed with the dawn of Labor Day. Writing the Brianna Sullivan e-books has been, quite simply, a hoot. The Southern half of this writing duo asked me the other day if it was bad form to be laughing uproariously at your own jokes. She had just re-read I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries, originally penned four years ago, and said she laughed long and loud. I know it’s good when you like what you are writing – or for that matter, enjoy whatever your job may be. So I’m truly thankful for this partnership that is also a wonderful friendship.

Oh, what the heck, let me keep on this thankful post, and talk about how lucky I am, blessed indeed, that The Stiletto Gang are my “peeps.” We are a disparate group of women of all ages, sizes, geographic locations, and points in our lives – and yet there is a sense of solidarity and support that is incredibly empowering. I have met in person only one of the Gang, and oddly enough it’s not the woman with whom I write books. Maggie Barbieri lives about a half hour away. But I often get just the email I need from someone in the group who might literally live across the country, but knows I need a pick-me-up. Sometimes, it’s to reassure me that “yes, you will write again,” when I am convinced that my writing career is over (if it should ever have begun). Sometimes, it’s when there’s a personal crisis, and someone has “been there, done that” and knows just will make the difference to get me out of the funk. These women I’ve never met are more than colleagues, they’re friends.

Writing, even with a partner, can be a lonely profession. I’m not sure how Hemingway and Fitzgerald managed to make it through the day without the reassurance I get from knowing that there is a group of writers out there who are no more than a click of a computer screen away. Of course, Ernest and Scott drank a lot so maybe that’s how they managed.

I don’t need turkey and stuffing to know that I have been blessed, in my personal life and professional one too. Before we eat our Thanksgiving feast, we always recite a Shehecheyanu prayer. It’s a Jewish blessing of thanksgiving. I offer it for you.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion. Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Marian, the Northern half of Evelyn David

Note to Readers: To celebrate the publication of the Wolfmont edition of Murder Takes the Cake, we’re having a drawing each Friday for an autographed copy of Murder Off the Books or Murder Takes the Cake (winner’s choice). To enter the drawing, leave a comment on our website – http://www.evelyndavid.com/

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake – Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books – Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Ding Dong, Deadline Calling!

/in /by

As I write this, I’m down to the wire on my deadline for Little Black Dress, my tale of two sisters, a daughter, and a magical dress that changes all their lives forever. It’s something different for me after writing series mysteries, a YA nonmystery series, and contemporary women’s fiction. Little Black Dress mixes the past and the present (okay, with a pinch of mystery!), and it alternates between two very different voices.

I just finished proofing 300 pages after staying up late and working through the weekends to get this baby done. It’s weird how deadlines never seem that intimidating until, oh, about six weeks beforehand. That’s when you realize that maybe you shouldn’t have scheduled a fundraiser you’re spearheading that close to D-Day, and innumerable real-life crises rear their ugly heads (never fails).

It’s when you tell yourself, “Hey, this is life. Put on your big girl pants and deal with it.” Only that doesn’t keep the clock from ticking or that danged deadline from looming like Fraggle Rock (wait, that’s a kid’s show, right? Not very scary, huh?).

When I realized I had, oh, five chapters left last weekend, I went into panic mode, staying up way past my usual bed-time, working like a maniac (and, no, I don’t drink coffee!). It helps when hubby has a late night hockey game and doesn’t return until after midnight so I can write until he gets home and finds me with my face on the keyboard, QWERTY squished into my forehead. (All right, it never happened, but it was a constant threat.)

Ed has gotten used to seeing me in my pajamas 24/7, often with my hair sticking out like a rat’s nest. I would mumble inanely, “I swear, I’ll shower after dinner,” and then I’d disappear into my writing room and not emerge until 11 p.m., still a mess. But I would have gotten another chapter done.

If all goes well, by the time you read this deadline-itis inspired babble, I’ll be hitting “send” and turning in Little Black Dress to my agents and my editor at HarperCollins.

At which point, I plan to sleep for days, watch mindless HGTV, read the books stacked on my bedside table, eat chocolate, and pray that they don’t come back and say, “Er, Susan, that thing you sent us? It’s a pile of poo.” (Has anyone ever had that happen, God forbid?) And soon enough, I’ll have to do revisions, turn in a proposal for the next book, and get back to writing again. No rest for the wicked, eh?
With two books due in 2011, I should really take a spin in the nearest phone booth (er, if I can find one) and emerge in my super-powered, superhero suit, consisting of plaid flannel jammie pants, the “rock star” T-shirt Maggie gave me, fuzzy socks, and rat’s nest hair. “Ah-ha-ha,” I’ll say in my throaty–um, squeaky–voice, “I am Deadline Girl! Look out!”

Or else I’ll just take a nap.

Little Black Dress has been bumped up in the schedule and will now be out in June from HarperCollins instead of next fall (or, actually, May 17, 2011 if we’re being particular). You can already pre-order it online, which is kind of funny as of this moment, since I just finished writing it. Toodles and TGIF!!! –Susan

Rejuvenated and Motivated, by Misa

/in /by
Last weekend was the annual NTRWA weekend retreat and what a blast it was! We all met in the historic town of Glen Rose, Texas, home of the biggest dinosaur footprints in the world.

Members of the North Texas RWA Chapter…

Happy Tales to You -_-


Which way to ReJuVeNaTiOn?


We stayed at Country Woods Inn, a fantastically quaint bed and breakfast right along the river and steps from the river walk…

We dined at…

and…

We walked…

We wrote, laughed, bonded, ate some more (junk food junkie weekend, baby!)…

We drank vino and diet sodas...

We brainstormed…

We ate cowboy hat cake...

We met Santa Fe Joe…

We hung out in the Chapel by the Woods…

…and had an all-around inspiring time.

I came away with a brand new cozy mystery series proposal which I L.O.V.E. What a way to charge into the holiday season. I feel rejuvenated and motivated.


When was the last time you went on a weekend getaway, and did it recharge your battery?


~Misa

The Power of Civil Discourse

/in /by

Much of the time I am supposed to be working, I’m surfing the Net for interesting story ideas, shopping, or just wasting time. During yesterday’s surf, I found this link on a web site and was so struck by this young’s man poise, as well as his bravery, that I had to post it here. I hope you are as impressed by how eloquently this 14-year-old young man states his case, in which he defends the actions of a suspended teacher who disciplined an anti-gay student. I think people on “both sides of the aisle” could learn a thing or two about civil discourse and its power to persuade.

(Between posting this blog and today, YouTube removed the video over a copyright issue.) Here’s a link to Gawker where you can view the video, http://tv.gawker.com/5689407/openly-gay-student-defends-teacher-at-school-board-meeting
Maggie Barbieri