Book BIN Tuesday - His For The Holidays

I adore holiday anthologies, and there are a bunch of them out there I'm itching to read. One of the ones topping my list is His For The Holidays, featuring four stories from LB Gregg, Harper Fox, ZA Maxfield, and Josh Lanyon. These four m/m contemporary novellas seem sure to warm your heart - if not more! Here are the deets:

Spicing Up the Season

Hope brightens a bleak Edinburgh December. A man gets a second chance with his high school crush. A decade-long game of cat and mouse comes to a passionate conclusion. And Santa Claus drives a red muscle car. Heat up your holidays with this collection of four festive tales from some of the top talent in the male/male genre.

Anthology includes:

Mistletoe at Midnight by LB Gregg

Nine Lights Over Edinburgh by Harper Fox

I Heard Him Exclaim by Z.A. Maxfield

Icecapade by Josh Lanyon

*****

It looks just delicious - so why not head over to Carina Press and Buy It Now?

Halloween

So the big day is over for another year. We survived the I-don't-like-my-costume-idea-anymore meltdown, the school costume parade, the multiple eggings, the handing out of three hundred pieces of candy, and the inevitable sugar crashes at the end of the night.

It was fun.

The thing about living in the only neighborhood in town with sidewalks on both sides of the street, though, is that people in outlying areas tend to bring their kids in to trick or treat. Which is fine. Having grown up at the end of a gravel road that saw zero Halloween traffic every year, I understand the whole concept of traveling to trick or treat. But sometimes those minivans are like the suburban version of clown cars, with short people in costumes pouring out in a never-ending stream of Spidermen, princesses, and the creepy mask guy from Scream.

Hope you had an enjoyable time!

Best. Mother's Day. Ever.

So yesterday morning I wake up to find the DH has made cinnamon rolls for breakfast AND done the dishes. Nice way to start the day! After breakfast we headed to the family room where the kids gave me their school-made presents -- a bookmark, a sachet, a decorated mug -- and I opened a few cards. Then the DH handed me a card from the kids with a post-it inside.

Thus started my adventure. In order, here are the clues:

1. Happy Mom's Day to you. Look in my closet in one of my shoes.

2. (In DH's dress shoe) You found me, way to be. Look by the TV.

3. (Under the back right corner of the downstairs television) Back upstairs you go. To the medicine cabinet. Don't be slow.

4. (Tucked in toothbrush packaging) Down you go pitter patter pitter pat. Look inside the Western hat.

5. (WWU baseball cap in front closet) Outside you go to the garage what a drag. Check out the lawn mower bag.

6. (Lawn mower bag, of course, in our detached garage.) What a long way you went. Back inside to child #3's tent.

7. (Play tent in child's room) You found this one, ain't life grand? Go check inside your lovely van.

8. (Under back seat) Go go go you are moving real slow. You will surely thank the kids a bunch. How about some Cap'n Crunch?

9. (Bottom of box in cabinet) Upstairs I do command. Do you think it's in a nightstand?

10. (Bottom drawer of DH's nightstand) To the basement shoo shoo shoo. I really want you to Love Me Do.

11. (Do you KNOW how many Beatles CDs we own? I do now. In the jewel box.) I hope you've had a nice trip. Look in the family room rip.

12. (Our family room couch has a rip in one of the cushions. It's there.) The treasure is close and not so faint, where do we keep the paint?

13. (Paint cabinet in basement) This is exhausting, you look really pale. Maybe you should send the mail.

14. (In mailbox on porch) They will say she ran and she ran. How about the X-mas tree stand?

15. (Back to the basement and the holiday decorations) The treasure you want so make your stand. I think it is in one of your baby's hands.

Back to the family room, where the three kids are standing in a row with their hands behind their backs. Middle child finally hands me a wrapped present, which I open to find a velvet box. Inside is this:

It's hard to see the colors, but it's a mother's birthstone pendant with my kids' birthstones -- peridot, diamond, peridot. Absolutely gorgeous, and completely unexpected. DH really outdid himself this year.

Then we headed to the in-laws for lunch and an impromptu game of Wiffleball -- kids against grown-ups -- before collapsing for the night. It was all in all a perfect day.

Hope your Mother's Day was everything you wanted it to be!

BLOG PARTY WINNERS!

Sorry, guys. Holiday stuff and a looming deadline kept me off the Internet for the most part until now. But the cookies are baked, the presents are wrapped, and the book is almost done (yay! My editor will be so pleased!), so without further ado...

The winners of the Home For Christmas blog party!

1. Winner of a download of Home For Christmas:

NJ Walters!

2. Winner of a Christmas ornament, stocking and assorted goodies:

Jane!

3. Winner of a handcrafted fabric mini purse and butterfly keychain:

Tetewa!

4. Winner of an autographed copy of The Perfect Gift:

Cathy!

Congratulations to all! E-mail me either your mailing address or your preferred e-book format, and I'll get those posted ASAP.

And happy holidays, everyone!

Thanksgiving

Yes, I know it's Thursday, but I'll be gone most of the day for Thanksgiving. So instead of an official Thursday Thirteen, since I won't be around to blog-hop, I thought I'd list some of the things I'm thankful for this year.

1. My family.
2. My health.
3. Being a working writer. It may not be my only job, but I'm so thankful I get this opportunity to share my writing beyond my best friend and my husband.
4. Having such a close relationship with my parents. They're the best.
5. Having fabulous in-laws.
6. Basic necessities.
7. Being able to read, and having so many wonderful books to choose from.
8. Having great, supportive friends.
9. Chocolate.
10. Travel.
11. My fuzzy yellow bathrobe.
12. Once a month Date Night.
13. YOU!

If you're a fellow American, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. If you're from outside the US, have a great weekend and I'll be back blogging soon!