Monthly Archives: November 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon G...

Here in the US, we’re celebrating Thanksgiving today. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just about food, football, and sales. It’s about being thankful for life, family, and friends.  I have a lot to be thankful for!

In addition to my loving family and friends, I’m also thankful for all those who put their lives on the line every day, not the least of which are our servicemen and women in harm’s way. Whether a soldier overseas or a firefighter down the street, I’m thankful for the commitment, bravery, and sacrifice these men and women (and their families) make. Thank you.

And I’m thankful for you. If you’re waiting for the turkey to finish cooking or working on this Thursday, thank you for your attention and for following my blog.

Happy Thanksgiving!

ps. go Niners!

Author! Author! Blog Bounce

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Handsome Villains

Is Rik Young too handsome to be a villain? (photo from IMDB)

I don’t know about you, but I love an evil villain. Someone who’s conniving, creepy, and just plain mean – you know, the break-in-and-kill-the-family-pet-for-fun kind of evil.

My question for you today: is this guy, who’s so bad on the inside, good looking on the outside? Do you like your villains sexy?

And a follow up question for you: Is a handsome killer more creepy than a plain or ugly one?

Thank you to the handsome Rik Young for being my example today. He has the most dreamy British accent, by the way.

Author! Author! Blog Bounce

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It’s Thursday, and that mean’s it’s time to bounce!

What’s the Author! Author! Blog Bounce?? Well, it’s a fun way for readers to find new authors and for authors to connect with their readers!

All you have to do is click on the picture!

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Thank You, Veterans

PFC Derek McConnell and his mom, Siobhan

You may remember when I asked for prayers and well wishes for one very special veteran, PFC Derek McConnell. I’m happy to report that after over 100 days in the hospital, he’s looking forward to entering the rehabilitation phase of his recovery. Go Derek!

On July 23, 2011, Derek stepped on an IED in Afghanistan and in an
instant, lost both his legs and suffered numerous other severe injuries,
including a skull fracture. It was touch and go for Derek for a very
long time, but he is an amazing young man with an amazing family. His mother and fiancee both left their jobs and homes to stay with Derek at the new Walter Reed in Bethesda since he arrived over 100 days ago. With their help, he’s taken unit’s motto “Climb to Glory” to heart, and continues to improve and get stronger.

Thank you, Derek, for your bravery, courage, duty and sacrifice.

Derek is just one veteran, though. Who do you know who’s served in the military? I know veterans of all ages and walks of life, including a World War II vet. Thank you, Jason, Mark, John, Dave, Joel, Bill, Andrew, and David, just to name a few. We are all in your debt.

Remembrance Day

Canadian politician Greg Thompson, wearing a R...

At the same time we’re honoring our veterans here in the US, countries all over the world honor soldiers who have lost their lives in battle. This day, 11/11, is the anniversary of the end of World War I, and countries in the Commonwealth celebrate it as Remembrance Day. If you’re a hockey fan in the US, you might have seen some Canadian coaches wearing red poppies on their lapels. The poppy is the symbol of remembrance, drawn from the poem, In Flanders Fields.

Peace, not War

While I am thankful for those who are willing to put their lives on the line for their country, this day is the anniversary of peace. The end of A war. If only it could’ve been the end of ALL war.

Happy Veteran’s Day

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NaNoWriMo What?

You might have seen people (authors) talking about the magical mystical thing called NaNoWriMo recently and wondered what the heck it is. No it’s not text speak for something illegal or immoral, it’s short hand for NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth. Every November a call is put out to writers everywhere to stop, drop and write. Many of us are talk about that book idea that’s a guaranteed best seller, but until it’s on “paper” it’s just a pipe dream. The point of NaNoWriMo is to wake us up and get us to write the darn book!

To help motivate us and keep us accountable, the Office of Letters and Light has set up a website, nanowrimo.org. It’s a place to connect with other writers and track your writing progress. No, you don’t actually publish your writing – this is an honor system setup – but you do post how many words you’ve written.

Oh, did I mention, the goal of NaNoWriMo is to write 50,000 words in 30 days? That’s half a novel like Whirlwind.

Now that I have Book 2’s first draft just about finished, I’ll be working on getting Book 3 in the Whirlwind Series kick-started during NaNoWriMo. So if you don’t hear from me, I’ll be busy writing as fast as I can.

Are you a writer? Join me in this writing-fest – I’m blondieakarobin on the nanowrimo website. If you’re a reader, be sure and cheer on your favorite authors as they write their minds out. If you want to know how I’m doing, click on the link. I can use all the love and whipping–er–support I can get!

Reading by the (Kindle) Fire

What would be better on a cold winter night than a hot, new Kindle Fire filled with great reads? You can win just that, in time for Christmas* by entering the Reading Next to the Kindle Fire giveaway.

Entering is easy. Click on the image to find the entry form and the list of participating authors. 20+ books are also included in the prize, so check out the authors on the list.

And be sure and follow this and other participants’ blogs to get the latest info on the giveaways, the books, and more fun stuff. You can subscribe to this blog by entering your email in the box on the right.

Good Luck!

*Christmas delivery for US winners only. See the Rules below the entry form for more information.

Author! Author! Blog Bounce

Click here to check out the Blog Bounce

It’s Thursday, and that mean’s it’s time to bounce!

What’s the Author! Author! Blog Bounce?? Well, it’s a fun way for readers to find new authors and for authors to connect with their readers!

All you have to do is click on the picture!

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And the Winner Is

Congratulations to the winner of an e-copy of Whirlwind:

jablefield

Thank you to everyone who commented during the Romance Girls Gone Goblin hop. Stay tuned for more giveaways. We’ve got a big one coming up very soon, so subscribe to my blog so you don’t miss out!

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