Not a creature is stirring (except to change who gets to snooze under the tree) this day before Christmas. Arya and Cuillean want to remind you that the smallest things are often the greatest gifts.
May you and yours find peace and joy this holiday season.
Baking, decorating, wrapping...crafting decorations. Whatever you're up to this week I hope you enjoy! I finished turning this solid-core door into a Christmas tree.
If you have an old door sitting around, collecting dust, give this a go!
- Cut the door diagonally in half
- Paint it! I went with a bright Christmas tree green
- Flip one side so it takes a tree shape and reattach the hinges
- Set upright and enjoy!
I’m excited about the stack of books waiting for me. Coffee and reading, that’s my Christmas morning plan. After the kiddos wake us up for presents that is. But after dealing with puke this week, I’ll gladly wake up early if it means they’re feeling good.
I hope you and yours stay healthy and joyous!
Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
I'm a reader, writer, blogger, musher who pens Sci-Fi as A.C. Anderson and Fantasy as Alexia Chantel. Chronic Disease can't hold me down.
A midwinter holiday fantasy romance anthology…
A Wynter Fyre by Darynda
Jones
In a
world where vampyres have been hunted to near extinction, the daughter of a
demon is sent to save their race. Wynter ends the Blood Wars, but a single drop
of vampyre blood accidentally crosses her lips. As punishment, she’s encased in
stone for a hundred years. When she awakens, she vows revenge. Even if it means
her demise. Her quest leads her to the vampyre prince who supposedly started
the wars. He comes to her aid after she’s attacked, and Gareth’s deadly prowess
may be exactly what Wynter needs to defeat the woman who created her. Or
exactly what she needs to thaw her frozen heart.
Of Fate and Fire by
Amanda Bouchet
The Kingmaker Chronicles meets modern-day New York City! Piers, an
exiled warrior from Thalyria, finds himself in the Big Apple just before the
holidays. The world and everything in it might be utterly foreign to him, but
that won't stop Piers from helping to complete a vital mission for Athena and
protect Sophie, a French teacher from Connecticut who's suddenly knee-deep in
inexplicable phenomena, danger, and henchmen after an Olympian treasure that
should never have ended up in her hands—or remained on Earth after the Greek
gods abandoned it.
The King of Hel by Grace Draven
Castil
il Veras, daughter of lesser boyars, attends the gatherings that celebrate her
best friend's upcoming marriage to the cursed king of a sorcerous kingdom. She
soon learns that even marked by the magic of the Wastelands, Doranis of
Helenrisia is everything she's ever desired in a mate—and absolutely forbidden
to her. Bound by duty to crown and country, Doranis has traveled to the
Caskadan empire to marry a woman who loathes the sight of him. During the
prenuptial celebrations, he meets a scribe who finds him fascinating instead of
repellent, but Castil is beyond his reach. Fate, however, would have it
otherwise, and a beseeching letter from a dying queen will bring them together
again in a land gripped by endless winter and old magic.
Familiar Winter Magic by
Jeffe Kennedy
It’s holiday time at Convocation Academy, but best friends Han and
Iliana are finding it hard to celebrate. As a familiar, Iliana is facing her
assignment to a life of servitude to a wizard, very soon. And Han… despite
being tested by the oracle daily, he is still uncategorized. As Iliana and Han
face being separated forever, they at last find the courage—or desperation—to
break the rules and acknowledge their deeper feelings for each other. But it
will take more than true love to save them from the laws of the Convocation…
Jeffe Kennedy is a multi-award-winning and best-selling author of romantic fantasy. She is the current President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and is a member of Novelists, Inc. (NINC). She is best known for her RITA® Award-winning novel, The Pages of the Mind, the recent trilogy, The Forgotten Empires, and the wildly popular, Dark Wizard. Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.
A happy Yule and
joyous winter solstice to you and yours!
As part of the 12 days of celebration, I'm sharing one of my favorite Yule pictures by artist Iren Horrors:
Fantasy Author.May your holidays be filled with joy and may the new year bring you endless reasons to be grateful.
I write fiction, a little of everything and a lot of horror. I've written novels, comic books, roleplaying game supplements, short stories, novellas and oodles of essays on whatever strikes my fancy. That might change depending on my mood and the publishing industry. Things are getting stranger and stranger in the wonderful world of publishing and that means I get to have fun sorting through the chaos (with all the other writer-types). I have a website. This isn't it. This is where you can likely expect me to talk about upcoming projects and occasionally expect a rant or two. Not too many rants. Those take a lot of energy. In addition to writing I work as a barista, because I still haven't decided to quit my day job. Opinions are always welcome.
In the My Favorite list, I'm coming in with my three favorite backyard visitors.
So far my favorites list has grown. Charissa had some excellent choices and reminded me it's writing glove season, KAK left me craving ice cream, and Jeffe made me realize it could be fun to write a short for an anthology!
BlueNose Coffee has the best hot drinks around. If you're ever in Minnesota, best make a swing through the southeast metro. My newest addiction is their eggnog chai latte—pure heaven! And it tastes even better while hiking in the snow.
There are a few of my faves…what are some of yours? What has you hooked right now?
I'm a reader, writer, blogger, musher who pens Sci-Fi as A.C. Anderson and Fantasy as Alexia Chantel. Chronic Disease can't hold me down.
Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is our three favorite... anything!
Since I'm down to the last few days of coordinating the upcoming FIRE OF THE FROST midwinter holiday fantasy romance anthology, I'm thinking about my three favorite aspects of putting together this annual project.
The anthology releases next week on December 22, 2021 and you can still preorder it for the special sale price! The price goes up on release day.
Working with My Friends
I always say one of the perks of being an author is getting to be friends with your favorite authors! While I love chatting with them online, putting together these group projects is the most fun. We get to collaborate in the best of ways. This year, working with Darynda Jones, Grace Draven, and Amanda Bouchet has been a real treat.
Getting to Read the Stories
Did I mention these friends are all authors I love??? I just finished Amanda's delightful Of Fate and Fire, and am diving into Grace's The King of Hel. I can't wait to read Darynda's foray into fantasy, A Wynter Fyre.
Sharing the Cross-Promo
What makes this project so great, too, is that we share the promotion and cross-pollinate with our readers. It's super fun to see readers say "I discovered this author through your anthology!" It's a celebration of each other and something lovely to share with our readers.
Only a week away!
Jeffe Kennedy is a multi-award-winning and best-selling author of romantic fantasy. She is the current President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and is a member of Novelists, Inc. (NINC). She is best known for her RITA® Award-winning novel, The Pages of the Mind, the recent trilogy, The Forgotten Empires, and the wildly popular, Dark Wizard. Jeffe lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is represented by Sarah Younger of Nancy Yost Literary Agency.