Tis The Season

I just love this time of year! One of the reasons is watching and reading old Christmas movies and books. I am very into traditions, so even though my ‘kids’ are now eighteen and twenty, they fully expect to watch each and every one of our favorite Christmas classics. Although the selection has changed through the years as they’ve gotten older, there is still a handful they know we will watch no matter what the age.

Here are a few you may not have heard of or forgot about: The Bishop’s Wife starring Cary Grant, an angel who helps the bishop’s wife raise money for their church. Another is A Midnight Clear set in 1944 staring Gary Sinise about an American Intelligence and reconnaissance unit sent out on a reckless mission on Christmas. The story is even more meaningful with the thought of our troops overseas. Some of the oldies are forgotten, such as Holiday Inn starring Fred Astaire. Another oldie but goodie is White Christmas Starring Bing Crosby.

The movies and books my kids grew up with are becoming outdated with new stories, but we stick to our regulars such as, Charlie Brown is my daughter’s favorite and Elf is my son’s. A Christmas Story is my dad’s first choice, reminding him of a time when he was a boy. My husband counts Die Hard and Trading Places as Christmas movies but I beg-to-differ. My two favorites are It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol staring Alistair Sim. And I like to watch them both in black and white although I have the color versions. It feels more real to see movies set back in the day to be the color they were originally. There is no better Scrooge than Alistair and who can top Jimmy Stewart? But then I’m partial as Jimmy is my favorite all time actor.

The book How The Grinch stole Christmas is an all time fav. The Night Before Christmas is one I still like but my teens lost interest awhile ago. I’ll have to wait for grandchildren to read that one again. Some count The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe and I am one of them, only because I liked the book so much:) I went to The Nutcracker play which is popular on stage this time of year but wasn’t crazy about it, and have never wanted to read the book. The Polar Express was popular but it didn’t grab me either.

The Greatest Story Ever Told was a book that I started but didn’t finish. Not because it wasn’t good, because I got distracted and need to finish it one of these days (maybe this Christmas?). The same goes for The Christmas Box but I finally finished that one.

It’s fun to find out likes and dislikes and maybe something new! So…what are your favorites?

Beth Shriver, Author of inspirational fiction Find me on my web page, Facebook, and Twitter. www.bethshriver.com

Latest release:

Can Abby overcome the pain caused by her father and find acceptance among the Amish?

Abigail Barker is a young woman struggling to keep the family horse farm afloat in Texas. When one of her horses is injured in an accident, Mose Fisher arrives on the scene wanting to help.   As she struggles with the faith she left behind after the death of her mother, Abby finds more than love and safety with Mose and the Amish community. After time spent with Mose and his family, she knows she has to make a choice. Will Abby stay with Mose or go back to her sick father who needs her?

Buy Link

A Very Ménage Christmas E-book and Naughty Giveaway

Holiday traditions are a big part of Christmas for me and my family.

We make holiday cookies, normally at least a dozen different kinds, to share with friends, family, neighbors, and our employees. My ten year old and I decorate the entrance of our property and put up the Christmas tree and other decorations to get in the holiday spirit.  I make Christmas cards to send to everyone with lots of pictures throughout the last 12 months. I couldn’t help but put a pic of me at my first book signing this year on the card. Might have to frame the card for my office! Talk about a major milestone. ***happy dance***

On Christmas Eve, we go to the candle light service at church, and then come home to eat summer sausage and cheese and crackers. Before going to bed, we lay out milk and cookies for Santa, because we have to do our part in keeping his strength up!

On Christmas morning we wake up and dump out our stockings and open lots of presents, showing off what we got from the big guy in red. It’s a wonderful day and I love spending it with my family.

To spread a little Christmas cheer I’m going to give away an e-book copy of A Very Ménage Christmas, my newest release from Ellora’s Cave, a bit of naughty swag and a giant candy cane. Once you read the story you’ll know exactly why that particular phallic shaped object needed to be included with your goodies. ***GRINS***

So…tell me your favorite tradition for Christmas and you just might win! Merry Christmas to all and to all a naughty night!!!!!

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Members Only, Book Three

Skye has spent her life being the perfect daughter for her prominent, wealthy parents. She says all the right things, wears all the right clothes…and lies through her teeth about the kind of sex she needs. The bland “gentlemen” she dates don’t know a thing about what gets her going—and when they find out, they run screaming. In her deepest, naughtiest dreams, she finds a man…or two…who knows just how to tie her up and tease her until she’s begging for more. But those guys don’t really exist, do they?

Jackson wants one thing for Christmas, and her name is Skye. He’s watched her from afar for ages, biding his time, waiting for his chance to give her the kind of pleasure she craves. And this Christmas he’s going to get his way. He’s enlisted his buddy Nick and the two of them are going to give Skye a holiday treat she’ll never forget.

Inside Scoop: This holiday threesome features bondage and spanking benches…and creates whole new uses for Christmas lights and candy canes.

A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Ellora’s Cave | Kobo | ARe Café

Members Only, Book One – Together in Cyn

Jennifer Kacey is a wife, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

This will be quick! I live on a hilltop in the middle of a forest. Satellite is my only option so  far as Internet access is concerned. So when we have thick cloud cover, like we do today, connection to the outside world is spotty. Which is why I have a land line as well as a cell phone, too. Those are just some of the lovely complications those of us who choose isolation over convenience face.

I had already planned for today to be a day off from writing/editing activities. I’ll head to my dd’s this afternoon where we will do some artsy/crafty things at her kitchen table—the last our Christmas preparations. Then we’ll settle on the sofa with hot chocolate and watch back-to-back episodes of Longmire. A very lazy day for me!

We are under flash flood and heavy wind warnings. There’s a possibility of tornado activity too. How’s the weather where you are? How do you plan to spend your day? 

I would like to thank Delilah for inviting me to guest on her blog. It is truly an honor to be here. Delilah has spoken to our writer’s group on a few occasions, and she was phenomenal. This lady knows her stuff about writing. 🙂

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Okay, I have a confession to make. I’m fifty-two years old, and I love all things Vampire Diaries. I adore the show, and I even LOVE going to conventions. I’ve been to two so far, and I will attend more. It’s an amazing time, filled with so many stars and events it boggles the mind.

The last one I attended was this past November 1^st through the 3^rd  in Atlanta, which is not far from Covington, Georgia, the place where Vampire Diaries is filmed. Yep, I went to Mystic Falls! My daughter and I drove 900 miles to attend the convention, and I would go again in a heartbeat (no pun intended), as a matter of fact, my plan is to go the Eyecon convention in Atlanta every fall. If you find yourself in the Atlanta area, you MUST take the time to visit Mystic Falls…er…Covington. Below are some pics from the quaint little town: (recognize anything from the show?)

Back to the convention…

Some of the highlights were:

• Seeing Ian, up close and personal, talking to him, getting a hug from him, and having my pic made with him…with his arm around me.
• Hanging with other attendees at the hotel bar, and seeing the celebrities relaxing and drinking. One evening, I sat right next to Rob Pralgo (the original Mayor Lockwood), at the bar.
• Meeting and listening to Nathaniel Buzolic, who played Kol Mikaelson on TVD. He was a bad, bad guy on the show, but in reality, he is a wonderful person with a strong faith and an uplifting message. His stories and warmth were inspiring to many people. The attendees were buzzing about how amazing he was.
• Ian
• Q&A’s, photo ops, and autographs. It was unbelievable how entertaining, personable, and funny the celebrities were. Getting a glimpse into their lives and personalities, not to mention some of the behind-the-scenes stories, was awesome. One of my favorite anecdotes was the one told by Ian Somerhalder (Damon), and confirmed by Paul Wesley (Stefan), about a day they were filming when the temperatures were below freezing. Paul had to do a scene where he was lying on the ice-cold ground. During a break, he put his face up to a heat lamp…and burned off the top layer of skin. His face was so cold it was numb, and he had no idea he was searing his flesh. Can you imagine, damaging that gorgeous face like that?
• Did I mention Ian? 🙂

Here is a my pic with Ian. In case you’re wondering…yes, I was in Heaven!

Do you have any idea how blue his eyes really are? Looking into them is like getting lost in this magical place you never want to leave…and when he looks at you, it’s like he’s really seeing you, really speaking to you. He has this knack of making every one of the thousands of fans in attendance feel like they are important to him. He’s just a very, very special person. Not only because of his extreme, ridiculous hotness, his friendliness, and his talent, but he’s a genuinely good person, a humanitarian. Read the rest of this entry »

Look down at your nails right now. What color nail polish are you wearing?

I’m wearing a surfer, aqua blue. I don’t know why I chose it from the dozens of bottles I have collected over the years, and which sit in a large Rubbermaid box on a shelf in my bathroom. I’m not sure I like it, but I’ll wear it for a couple of days and see what happens. Nail color affects my mood. Or is it my mood that affects my color choice? Hmmm…

Anyway, I went to this website to see what my color choice meant: The Beauty Gypsy

Blue

Forget any tranquil associations – when worn as a nail polish, blue is not for the faint of heart. It’s fun and experimental, giving the impression that you live an adrenaline-filled lifestyle full of constant excitement. In short, blue nail polish tells the world that you are youthful, fun and willing to try new things.

Share what your color choice says about you!

I’ll be writing the first story in a new, sexy novella series for Samhain in January. It’s paranormal. The heroines are witches. And that’s as much as I know about the stories right now. I could use your help. Are you tired of vamps? Of werewolves? Would you like to see something fresh in the way of paranormal beings? For fun, take the poll below and let me know what you’d like to see. And if you have more ideas, leave a comment and I’ll add your monstery choice!

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Hello,

I must start by saying it’s an honor to be here on Delilah’s blog. When I told her I would be a guest on her blog and she said sure…I had to read the email like three times to be sure.

A Bit about Me and My Writing

I grew up in a very conservative family. Sex was never mentioned, and when it was, it wasn’t in good lighting. Most of my family believe sex is for marriage and producing offspring. So, imagine my surprise when I snuck a romance novel from my mom’s box of books and read the sex scenes. Wow! I was captivated. I started to sneak more and more books away to read. At the age of 13, I knew I wanted to be a romance writer. I have many stories I wrote during high school, but I’m afraid to go back these days and read them :/

So in 2010, my long awaited dream came true, Secret Cravings Publishing published my first erotic romance novel, NIGHT PROMISES. That’s the moment I knew I could do this. I had what it took to be a writer.

Sadly to say that’s the only book I have had published. Life has a funny way of stepping in sometimes.  I became pregnant shortly after my first book was published, at the end of my pregnancy it was difficult. Also, I had my grandmother who was battling cancer, and my uncle, her son, who also was diagnosed with terminal cancer. My grandmother thankfully beat her cancer, but my uncle passed away hours after my son was born. And most recently, the same grandmother as before was diagnosed with cancer once again. She just had surgery and we are waiting for details of what is to come.

The main thing is I’ve never stopped writing and writing down ideas. I just haven’t focused much of my attention to publication again…until the past four months.

I currently have a book titled, CLAIMED, in edits with MuseItUp Publishing! And I’m venturing out into the world of Indie Publishing.

My First Indie Release

I am expecting this book to release early January, about to send it off for edits now.

THE PROPOSITION (Part 1 of The Mistaken Identity Series)

After being mistaken as a hooker Krystal decides to go with it, especially when men her father owes half a million to finds her and demands she find a way to pay up or suffer the consequences. Victor Wilcox is offering Krystal more money than she ever imagined a call girl making in duration of her entire career as a hooker.

Victor is on a mission to find some bratty daughter for the Mayor of Nevada, no reason he shouldn’t enjoy the company of a beautiful, willing woman while he’s on his manhunt. And Krystal seems like the perfect escape to his failed marriage and dealing with a crass Mayor who believes everything is owed to him.

When Victor lays out his proposition on the table, will it make Krystal run in the opposite direction—especially when he tells her about the kinky lifestyle he leads?

A Sneak Peak at the Story

“You think I’m a hooker!” Gasping Krystal nearly dropped her martini glass. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken.”

“I’m in no mood to play games, what was it, Krystal?”

“Yes, Krystal! I’m not playing games,” she placed her glass on the bar and crossed her arms almost stubbornly.

“Look, I don’t really like to talk business out in the open,” he tilted his head towards the V.I.P area. “If you would like to join me somewhere more private we both can lay all of our cards on the table.”

Licking her lips Krystal glanced towards the area he was referring. A tall, muscular bouncer stood guard, several beautiful women tried to saunter passed the man, but he was firm. Krystal had to admit she was surprised. Glancing back at Victor, the man who had bought her a drink only twenty minutes and nearly wooed her panties off, was starting to get under her skin. Even in dark jeans and a cream sweater he looked like old money. When he had walked in the room it was like he owned the place, every man wanted to be him and every woman wanted to be with him. Why had he picked her? Because he believed she was a call girl.

“I’ll follow your lead,” she said slipping off her bar stool.

“Good girl,” he murmured grasping her elbow and walking forward.

Want to Read More?

I am hosting a contest on my Facebook page! I am currently at 1,000 likes, once I hit 1250 I will share more of the above scene with everyone. And when I reach 1500 I will share the full cover….but for you guys I will make an exception and share the cover here today!

Be sure to like me on Facebook and follow me for  more updates!!

Find Tonya

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/authortonyareneecallihan)
Twitter @tonyacallihan
Website (https://www.tonyareneecallihan.weebly.com)
Blog (https://www.Tonyareneecallihan.blogspot.com)
Tonya’s Kindle Hookers (street team) (https://www.facebook.com/groups/392562857512677/)

Cover Artist: Carey Doucet
(https://safariheatbooktoursandauthorservices.blogspot.com/)