You know you’re country if… Introducing Calico Daniels and her new Hick-lit series!

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! I’ve got Calico Daniels as a guest today and she’s introducing her new hick-lit series. Her first book is being released sometime in January! It’s titled “Fried Pickles and the Fuzz” and  she’s here to explain the definition of country to us cityfolk! Take it away Calico!

You know you’re country if…

1. When you say your dryer broke you really mean your clothes line
2. You tell city folk you raise birds and when they ask what kind you say chickens.
3. You’ve ever let your kids play in the mud then used the hose on them before bringing them in the house.
4. You keep a deer feeder in your back yard year round.
5. You dream of redecorating your home in camo.
6. Your dream house is a hunting cabin with a wood burning stove to cook on and a hand pump for water.
7. You steal realty signs to sight in your new gun.
8. You have 3-D targets set up in your yard year round.
9. When your lawn mower breaks you just let the horses in the yard.
10. You run out of propane for your cook stove and you just break out the camp stove to cook on.
11. Your barn is more organized than your house.
12. The only color in your wardrobe is denim
13. You paid more for your horse than you did your car.
14. Your guest house is your horse trailer.
15. You plan your family vacations around hunting season.
16. The only thing Santa brings you are fishing lures and ammo.
17. You roll your hair with soup cans.
18. Your dog has their own furniture in your living room
19. Instead of mouse traps you just get another cat.
20. During hunting season you should get a discount at the local ice machine

Thanks Calico for sharing your very humorous anticdotes!  If any of you have any anticdotes you’d like to share…leave them in a comment, we’d love to hear them!

Now take a peek at the first book in her series!

Fried Pickles and the Fuzz coming January 2013 to Astraea Press

Blurb: Big Creek might be a stereotypical small town but even they have drama.

Heather loves her little café, and her best customer is the county Sherriff. She’s been waiting months for him to ask her out…maybe she won’t have to wait much longer.

Bronson feels at home in Big Creek even though he hasn’t been the Sherriff for long. Small towns have their perks and a pretty café owner who cooks like an angel certainly doesn’t hurt. Now, if he could only get over his nerves and drum up the gumption to ask her out.

Throw in a gossip mill, a redneck festival and an ill timed attempt to help and you end up with some laughs, some ruffled feathers and a town that is….Redneck Fabulous.

Thanks for stopping by Calico! I’m excited about your new release! It’s definitely on my TBR pile!

Some New Year Resolutions! What are yours?

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you and that you all had a very Merry Christmas. I know I did. I love to see my kids so excited about Santa and Christmas, they are at a fun age and I hope this period lasts for a little while longer. Soon they’ll learn who Santa really is and some of the magic of this holiday will be lost.  But hopefully not for a little while yet. 🙂

As the year winds down and I get ready for the New Year, I’m filled with excitement! I’ve got quite a few projects I’m working on and I’m hoping these projects develop and grow in the direction I’m planning. 🙂 It’s exciting to start something from scratch and watch it take on a life of its own.

When I think of this New Year, questions come to mind. What do I want to accomplish this year? What kind of changes do I want to make as a parent? How do I want to grow in my writing?

Pondering these questions, I’ve come up with some New Year resolutions and their listed below.

1)    I want to experience as much joy as possible. 🙂

I know everyone probably has this on their list, but the question is…how do you do that? Well…I’ve come up with a plan and I think it will work quite well for me. I’m going to practice letting things go. When something bothers me…I’m going to deal with it…make my peace with it and then let it go. By doing this I’m going to free up time to experience the things that I enjoy. 🙂 It really is this simple…but I know it’s hard to do. This means I’ll have more time to do the things I love, like spending quality time with my family, writing, and hiking in the woods. 🙂

2)    My next resolution is to continue improving my craft and get as many books out as I can! 🙂

3)    I’m going to continue building a positive relationship with my kids and provide them all the tools they’ll need for a happy life. (I’m sure every parent is saying this)  🙂

4)    I’m going to work on maintaining my health by eating right and exercising. 🙂 This might mean I’ll have to cut back on the chocolate…a little…but only a little! 🙂

So there you have it, my resolutions for the New Year. 🙂  I’m looking forward to 2013! How about you? What resolutions do you have? Take a moment and jot them down! I’d love to hear them!

And the Winners Are!!

 

Hello Everyone! I just thought I’d let you all know who the winners are for the Indie Holiday Giveaway!!

 

The winners are!!

 

Sherry Fundin

 

Traci Ellen Smith

 

Shannon Aleene Romein

 

Thanks everyone for your participation and I hope you all had fun! I know I did!

 

Have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

 

It’s a Holiday Indie Giveaway!!

 

 THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED! WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON SO STAY TUNED AND HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

 

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! It’s the Christmas Season and we’re giving away some great books and some Amazon Gift cards! In fact, there will be three winners and each winner will receive a copy of each e-book and a $10 Amazon Gift Card. What an awesome Christmas present! 🙂 Below are the covers and blurbs from the books! So check it out and keep reading to see how you can enter! 🙂 The winner will be announced December 24th.

Good Luck!

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman. One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death. Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own fact-finding mission.  The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the inquest. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. To make matters worse, the police don’t even believe them. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer, or die trying…

This book opens in a small town in Michigan where Sarah and her sister Lacey are now living with their Aunt and Uncle. Still reeling from the fact her parents have disappeared, Sarah starts the school year with her new friend Jackie Jenkins. When Sarah learns the school has been bombed, she’s filled with dread. Uncle Walt is a teacher, and he was in the school when the bomb exploded. Taking matters into her own hands, Sarah decides to search for him. The rest of the Super Spies are right behind her. When a fireman chases them away from the school, Sarah becomes suspicious. She decides to investigate. The FBI arrives on the scene. Sarah realizes this bombing could have even bigger implications. Searching for the bombers, Sarah is introduced to the world of terrorism. She fears that the bombing and her parents’ disappearance are connected and terrorists are involved. To make matters worse, the bombers are determined to finish the job. Can the Super Spies find the bombers before it’s too late?

Friend or Foe?

Murder victim Bart Bagley is not content to merely roll over in his grave. He wants his murderer caught and he wants teenage ghost whisperer, Indigo Eady, to help him.

It becomes obvious that Bart’s temper led to more than one disagreement, but is it enough to want him dead? With nothing but a cold trail and a hot list of “friendly” suspects, Indigo and her friends race to find the killer before they become the next victims.

Indigo Eady is not clumsy. At least, that’s what she keeps telling everyone. Can she help that the overactive spirit community of Sabrina Shores causes her psychic abilities to short-circuit? It’s unfortunate that her cute new friend Badger is often on the receiving end of her mishaps. At times, she is positively hazardous to his health. Even so, sparks start to fly in more than one direction…

Find out more about Gwen Gardner here: http://gwengardner.blogspot.com/

For seventeen-year-old Abigail, one rash decision leads to an unexpected chance for redemption. At V’Salicus Academy, a unique institute where she trains to become an agent of heaven, she struggles with the pain of her past, the changes of the present and accepts a loveless future until her path – and heart – crosses with Basil’s.
Basil’s off-chance slip of the tongue binds him to a life of servitude to the Devourer, the master of hell. His existence has no upside until a chance meeting with Abigail brings new perspective.
Keeping the truth of their present lives from each other brings disaster when secrets are brought to light and the life of Abigail’s mentor is put on the line.
Can Abigail and Basil save her mentor and salvage their love amid the chaos? Or will they lose it all, destined forever to NEVERLOVE?

Find out more about Angela Brown here: http://publishness.blogspot.com/

Fourteen-year old Lissa is snatched from her home and finds herself a slave on a trading ship traveling on a waterless ocean of nothing but gray dust. A feisty, curious and intelligent girl, her desire to explore the ship earns her the hatred of the cruel first officer, Farq.

Fascinated by the ocean of dust, Lissa becomes embroiled in its mysteries, sensing things that the crew cannot, while cryptic whispers in her head are leading her toward a destiny linked to the dust itself. Only one man aboard can help her make sense of her new talent, but can she trust him? All is not as it seems, and she must unravel the clues before it’s too late.

When a sinister plot casts her adrift on the barren ocean, her best friend is left in the hands of the treacherous crew. Everything hinges upon her courage, quick wits, and her ability to master her new talent.

Find out more about Graeme Ing here:  http://www.graemeing.com/

You can enter by going to the Rafflecopter here but if that doesn’t work keep reading and get the details below!

Now, I bet you’re wondering how do I enter to win these great prizes?

Since Rafflecopter doesn’t work on my blog you can go to Graeme’s and enter there or continue reading and find out how to enter here!

To enter on Graeme’s Blog:

http://www.graemeing.com/2012/12/09/holiday-indie-giveaway-free-bundles-of-ebooks-to-win/

Well there are several ways to do that! You can like each author’s page on Facebook and that counts as one entry.

Here’s the list:

Lisa Orchard: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Orchard/328536613877060?ref=hl

Angela Brown: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Partners-in-ParanormYA/462052430493091

Gwen Gardner: https://www.facebook.com/IndigoEady

Graeme Ing: https://www.facebook.com/GraemeIngAuthor?ref=ts&fref=ts

You can also follow us on Twitter! Each follow counts as one entry!

Here’s the list:

Lisa Orchard:  https://twitter.com/lisaorchard1

Angela Brown: https://twitter.com/neostateofmind

Gwen Gardner: https://twitter.com/ladygwentweets

Graeme Ing: https://twitter.com/GraemeIng

You can also share and tweet about the giveaway, each share or tweet counts as two entries! 🙂

Just post the URL of your Like, Follow, Tweet, or Share in the comment section, or you can go to http://www.graemeing.com/2012/12/09/holiday-indie-giveaway-free-bundles-of-ebooks-to-win/ and enter in the rafflecopter there.

If you leave your URL in the comment section I will enter it into the Rafflecopter for you! 🙂

Thanks everyone for participating! This is going to be fun! 🙂 And I hope all of you will have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Let’s Thank our Troops

Hello Everyone! I hope all is well with you! The post today is short and sweet but it does come from the heart. 🙂  The Christmas season is upon us and it’s my favorite holiday! Even though the holidays are stressful, I love giving gifts and sending cards. The spirit of giving during this time of year is wonderful and it does a person good.

I see this spirit everywhere in the community, the Toys for Tots program, the Salvation Army, and even the schools are getting involved in giving to those who are in need.

This is one thing that I really love about the United States. I wouldn’t want to live in any other country. I know we have our problems, but let’s face it…it’s the best country to live in…especially for women.

I base the above comment on a book that I read a few years ago. I read it in one day. It’s a fictional story, but I believe the description of life for women in that country is accurate. I also feel the political unrest portrayed in the book is true to life. The book I’m talking about is titled “The Kite Runner”. I highly recommend it. It’s an eye opening experience and it made me appreciate the country where I reside.

To check out this book click on the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Kite-Runner-ebook/dp/B000OCXGZA

So, now that the Christmas season is here and we’re thankful for all we have. Let’s remember the troops that keep our way of life safe for us. And even though we have problems, they are nothing compared to what the people in other countries suffer.

So take a moment and send a Thank you Note or a Christmas card to the troops who are stationed in Afghanistan. Here’s a link that will explain how to do that. 🙂

http://action.uso.org/action/thank-you-letter?sc=OM_Google-P_Afghanistan-C_AF-Hero-Military=www.ehow.com_thank&page=GG&donate=WW11VLP268&gclid=CNXijsrNg7QCFckWMgodiAEApw

The link above allows you to send our troops a Thank you e-mail. They also ask for a donation…but if you can’t spare a few dollars…don’t worry about it. The thank you message should be enough. 🙂

If you’d like to send a physical card or letter, you can drop it off at your local Red Cross location and they will send it for you.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and if you could take a few minutes and send a thank you e-mail it would be greatly appreciated. The troops overseas won’t be able to see their families this Christmas…because they’re busy keeping our way of life safe for us. So send them a quick note! They’ll appreciate it!