Movie Review and Shower Of Books

Check us out at http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com where today Kathleen reviews the new "True Grit" for theater goers and "Town" on DVD.

Be sure to join in the discussion and become eligible for our fabulous "Shower Of Books." One name will be drawn on January 3. Good luck!

Thursday’s Child Is Leanne Banks

Meet us at our new address and share your thoughts with Leanne and the Riders today. We’re cruising toward the big “Shower Of Books” to be announced in the New Year—January 3rd to be exact. Names of all who comment between now and Monday will be eligible, but only one will get rained on. Books from all the riders, including DEADLY INTENT and WAKING NIGHTMARE (Kylie Brant); NOT JUST THE NANNY and CRUSH ON YOU (Christie Ridgway); AN ACCIDENTAL SEDUCTION and ONE HOT MESS (Lois Greiman) And that’s just for starters. Visit http://ridingwiththetopdow.wordpress.com and get in on the discussion. And bookmark us!

Cruising Into 2011 At Our New Address

  It’s going to be raining books!

We’re finishing out his week’s blogging at http://www.ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com with Cindy Gerard on Wednesday the 29th, Leanne Banks on Thursday the 30th, and Kathleen Eagle on Friday the 31st.  On Monday night (Jan 3), Christie Ridgway will draw one name from our Dec 29-Jan 3 commenters, and that person will be showered (by mail) with books written and autographed by our Riders.  Isn’t that a fine way to start off the New Year?  So get in on the conversation.

And do bookmark our new address!

We’re Moving

Get dressed and come with us.  Michele Hauf is talking up her latest book today and drawing for this one-of-a-kind Riding With The Top Down T-shirt.  Go to http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com and put in your two cents for a chance to win.

Saddle Up and Ride With Lois Today

 

Lois is talking 2010 highlights today, and hers have to do with riding.  Follow this trail to our new home and make a comment.  You’ll be eligible for Lois’s giveaway—sapphire earrings!  And be sure to check our updated winners list.  If your name has been drawn, you’ve got some contacting to do.

You get a prize! And you get a prize! And you get a prize!

 

But you’ll have to jump over to http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com to find out who YOU are.  2 weeks worth of prize winners are listed.  Our moving party lasts another week, so bookmark us!

BIG Christmas Eve Gifting

Taking in a movie over the holidays?  Cindy has a review and a big prize to offer—a digital photo viewer/alarm clock worth $30—for one Christmas Eve visitor at http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com.  See you there!

Another Day, Another Prize

If it’s Thursday, it must be time to turn the keys over to Helen Brenna. Wanna go for a ride-along? Backseat drivers welcome at http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com. One commenter will receive a $15 gift certificate from Borders Books. Don’t forget to bookmark us!

Counting the days until . . .

. . . our big finale on January 3? Well, don't be a wallflower. Join in the lively conversation at our new address. You'll love Deb's YouTube blog today, and she'll be giving one commenter a $15 Amazon gift certificate. Bookmark us!

Holiday Road Trip Continues

It’s Kylie Brant Tuesday! She’ll be drawing the name of one lucky commenter, who’ ll receive a $15 Amazon gift certificate. So cruise on over to http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com and get in on the conversation. Don’t forget to bookmark us!

Debra - If you give it, they will come...

Jump in the car and follow me over to our new blog site on WordPress!  I've got a blog waiting for you and a giveaway of four books from the BelleBooks or Bell Bridge Books catalogue.

Come on...you know you want to.  The new blog is just a click away:   www.RidingWithTheTopDown.WordPress.com.

This Week’s Winners

We’re making a list.  Go check it once or twice.  Whether you’re naughty or nice, if we drew your name, you get a prize!

Congratulations Winners!  Our party continues through New Year’s weekend with more prizes and more discussion.  Bookmark us!

Watch Out! Kathleen’s Driving Today

And she tends to get distracted.  She’ll award a $15 Amazon gift certificate to one backseat driver with a good sense of direction, so move on over to http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com, bookmark us, and, yes, tell Kathleen Eagle where to go.  She’s discussing a recent article about fiction, fantasy, and yearning for a simpler life.

Michele’s Serving Chocolate Today

Follow our tracks to the new home of Riding With the Top Down where Michele Hauf is hosting a gala today. She’ll send one lucky commenter a box of yummy Decadent Chocolates. Be sure to bookmark http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com. See you down the road!

MAUREEN is winner for Amazon Gift Certificate Dip Drawing!

CONGRATULATIONS MAUREEN!  You are the winner for the Amazon Gift Certificate!  Please send your name and email address to leannebbb @ aol.com (no spaces) so I can send it to you pronto!

Thank you to all my fellow “dippers”!  Merry Christmas!!

xo,

Leanne

Go For a Ride With Samantha Hunter

We’ve moved from here to here, and we’re taking author Samantha Hunter with us today, and look what you might win if you ride along!

One commenter will win a basket with Samantha's December release, I'LL BE YOURS FOR CHRISTMAS, Joanne Rock's Christmas Blaze, UNDER WRAPS, some promo items from both authors, soaps and chocolates. Wow! Samantha also has a new Blaze coming out in June 2011, MINE UNTIL MORNING.

Join us on our holiday road trip and bookmark our new URL. We’re Riding With the Top Down.

We’re moving. Need a ride?

Christie Ridgway is blogging today about the January release of THEN HE KISSED ME, a story that begins on New Year’s Eve. She’ll be drawing for a $15 Amazon gift certificate at the stroke of midnight tonight (or thereabouts) to be given to someone who comments today. All you have to do is go to http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com and join the party. Bookmark our new site, and visit every day during our 3-week holiday road trip for some of the best giveaways we’ve ever offered.

We’re Riding With The Top Down. Hop in!

Dip Dip Doo Wah… and a Christmas Pressie for one of you!

It’s that time of the year. Christmas gatherings, potlucks, parties. What to bring? Share your favorite dip or potluck recipe with me and I will draw from your fabulous responses to give one lucky winner a $15.00 gift certificate to Amazon! How’s that for Christmas spirit?

What have I been taking to holiday soirees? Dips. I have a few faves such as Buffalo Chicken Dip. Easy peasy to prepare. 1 large can of chicken breast drained. 1/2 cup Frank’s regular hot sauce (more if you can stand it) 8 oz reduced fat softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup reduced fat Ranch dressing, 1/2 cup grated 2% cheddar cheese. Mix everything together and spread in a glass 9 inch pie plate. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir. Microwave for four more minutes. Enjoy with Tostito scoops or some other more healthy carb alternative. There’s never much left of this. I took it to my mother’s house at Thanksgiving and it was gone within 45 minutes of when I set foot inside her door.

A more healthy dip that I love. Texas Caviar. This can be made several ways. Here’s my fave because green pepper and I do not agree. 1/2 cup chopped red pepper. 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (or 1/4 cup chopped from Jalapeno slices in jar), 1/4 cup thinly sliced chopped onion, 1 15 oz. can Black-eyed peas drained and rinsed (you may substitute a can of black beans or kidney beans), 1 can white corn, 1/3 cup low-fat balsamic vinegar dressing, 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (OR 1 can of tomatoes and chiles), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Combine all ingredients in bowl and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving (24 hours is best). Keeps for days. Serve with tostitos or healthier carb alternative.

I have a third choice and it is usually reserved for deadline. It’s terrible, wicked bad for you and I rarely purchase it because it’s like crack for me… although I’ve never had crack. I’m just imagining. Heluva Good French Onion dip with ridged potato chips.

There’s another Mexican layered dip that my husband and I enjoy for Super Bowl, but I think I’ve given you enough calories to ponder.

So, now it’s your turn. What do you take to a potluck party? One of you lucky responders will receive a $15.00 Amazon gift certificate. CAN’T WAIT for you to show your stuff!

And starting tomorrow you'll find us riding with our top down at a new address. We're celebrating our move for the rest of the month with prizes galore. We go live tomorrow (Tuesday 12/14) so bookmark http://ridingwiththetopdown.wordpress.com and party 'til it's 2011!

Merry Christmas!

xo,

Leanne

We’re Throwing a 3-Week Party, and You’re Invited

Don’t miss our 3-week road trip with daily prize drawings beginning December 13 and ending in 2011. We’re moving, and we want to take you along. So stop in daily. Our new site goes live on Tuesday. You’ll click a link and bookmark our new URL at wordpress. Be sure to comment every day. We’re celebrating with prizes, prizes, prizes.

The Bushman - booga booga

I had the great good fortune to be invited to speak in Oakland, Ca. last week at the Black Diamond RWA chapter (hey girls!!!) And since the nice ladies invited me out there, I decided to make a little 'fun' trip out of it and extend my stay in San Francisco for a couple extra days. What fun is a visit, however, without company? Not too much so I cashed in some frequent flier miles and had my wonderful daughter-in-law, Eileen, and my 9 year old granddaughter, Kayla, join me.

We spent Sunday and Monday 'doing' San Francisco, let me tell ya. Had a great time with two of my favorite girls. And, let's just say that if there was something to see or do, we saw it and did it!

On a city bus tour, early on the trip, the bus driver/tour guide told us this tall tale about the supposedly famed San Francisco Bushman. The story goes that this man hides along the sidewalks down on Fisherman's Wharf, using nothing but eucalyptus leaves to cover himself. He ends up looking like a potted plant. Anyway, the tour guide warned us to look out for him because he would pop up when we least expected it and scare us half to death.

Needless to say, Kayla didn't think too much about the idea that the Bushman might scare us and was constantly on the lookout for him. Eileen and I pretty much dismissed the possibility that he even existed or if he did, that we'd ever run into him ... and yes, you guessed it. We were rushing along the street, trying to catch the last cable car of the night. It was pretty dark. We were single-minded in our purpose. And bam! He got us good. He jumped out from behind his leaves, roared and Eileen and I almost wet our pants. Kayla, who had been looking out for him EVERY MINUTE, was not one bit surprised, except by how high we both jumped.

So guess what HER trip highlight was? We made a visit to Muir Woods and the ancient and giant redwoods, we lunched in Sausalito, did Chinatown, rode the cable car, rode not one but TWO different ships on the Blue and Gold fleet out into the bay and under the bridge and around Alcatraz, saw the Aquarium of the Bay, The Wax Museum, went to a live production of SHREK, the Musical at the Orpheum (it was FANTASTIC!) and still, it's the Bushman, who she talks about when someone asks her what she did.

Go figure.

That ever happen to you? You go on this trip, see all the sights and some odd, unexpected event is what you remember most? What's the best vacation you've taken recently? And what was the best thing about it? For me, it was being with my girls~

'Tis the Season--for Online Shopping!

Confession time: I hate shopping. Although my mother was the consummate shopper, as were her sister and my oldest sibling, that gene is missing in my DNA makeup. I'll go without something I need for weeks until sheer desperation overcomes my loathing and I'm forced to dash into a store. I don't linger recalling other things I really need to pick up, either. It's all about getting in and out in the shortest amount of time possible. Which means I go without a lot, unless I can con my husband into going for me.

He actually does do a bit of my shopping. Strangely, he's never minded (except at this time of year.) He'll go and bring home some sweaters and new pants for me, which I can then keep or have him take back,. You have to admit, that's a pretty sweet deal. It's like having my own personal shopper, albeit one whose tastes run to the low-cut and slutty. (Those are the ones he usually has to take back.) I'm a huge Christmas junkie, so my shopping aversion used to be set aside at this time of year. But as I get older I have even less patience for the crowds, lack of inventory and unhelpful clerks. Too much going store to store has me plotting homicide, as evidenced by my marathon excursion on Sunday. (You hear that, Toys 'R Us employee???? They would *never* find your body!)

That's why one of my favorite things about Christmas is online shopping.

Ahh. Now *that* I could wax poetic about! Last week, Christmas lists in hand, I spent 4 1/2 hours one night getting started on my shopping. Afterwards there was no braving the cold to haul packages out to the car. No jostling crowds in the mall or trudging from one place to the other looking for that must have gift. Just me stretched out on my chaise lounge, Diet Coke in one hand, credit card in another, in search of deals.

Online shopping fills me with childlike wonder. Free shipping makes my Christmas holiday all shiny and bright :)

And then there's the packages. Like magic they begin to appear on the porch every afternoon, two and three a day. And each of them represents more than a gift: they represent one less store I had to force myself into. So far I have successfully avoided the reality that next week, I'm really going to have to start wrapping.

I insist on Christmas lists from my kids before they leave after Thanksgiving. It's a bonus when I get one that comes complete with links!

What are your favorite parts of the season? Any least favorites? Do you have the shopping gene or are you a mutant like me ?

Guest Author: Holly Jacobs

Please welcome guest author Holly Jacobs who has a new, December Superromance out now, HOMECOMING DAY and she's a novice basket weaver, too! She's having a contest giving away a basket she's made. Here's Holly ...

Thanks for inviting me to visit today, Ladies!

I’m pretty sure most readers aren’t surprised to discover that writers are readers, too...generally they’re readers first! I can't remember a time I didn't read. My first book love-affair was with The Hobbit. To be honest, all my first crushes were on characters from books. Aragorn in LOTR, Lazarus Long in Heinlein's works. I grew up in books. As an adult, I was the kindergarten story lady for years, even after all my kids had moved up in grades. There was something so exciting about seeing the kids fall into a story. Most years we all read our first big-kid chapter book together.

I can't fathom a life without books.

I guess that's why I touch on the idea of functional illiteracy in this month’s SuperRomance, Homecoming Day. JT, the high school freshman in the book, can read. It's difficult and ponderous for her, but she can do it...she just can't do it well and that impacts her school performance and her self-esteem. And it goes without saying that she has never read for pleasure.

My hero and heroine come together because of her and they work with her. The better she reads, the more her grades improve, the more she opens up.

Now, I'm going to confess, I think I rushed the JT's reading progress. I don't think most kids who have difficulty reading can overcome their problems in just a few months of one-on-one work. But hey, I'm writing fiction and there were a few time constraints, so let's just agree that she's an anomaly and did improve that quickly. What I don't think I exaggerated was the idea that one person can make a difference in someone else's life. That having someone care about you can alter the course you take.

And I'm totally certain that I didn't exaggerate the notion that reading can enrich your life and open new ideas and vistas. So many writers helped raise me. When I felt lost, they helped me find myself. I wouldn't be who I am today without those authors in my past.

Laura, the heroine of Homecoming Day, is a teacher. I have so many family members who teach and I know what a rare and wonderful breed of person they are! And the hero, Seth Keller (whose brother, Zac, was the hero in last year’s Unexcepted Gifts), is a cop. Now, I love cops...actually one cop in particular. My husband is a police Captain, and two brothers are also police officers. So I do think police officers make great heroes, even if they’re not saving the world, but are saving a few kids.

Both Laura and Seth have suffered a devastating loss. They need to heal before they can fall in love. My blurb for this book, as I wrote it, was, Life Gives Second Chances...Sometimes So Does Love! I hope you enjoy their story...that you enjoy READING their story.

See how I did that? I circled back to reading...literacy! Yeah, I’m that good! LOL Let’s talk books that made an impact on you. Is there a particular book you can remember reading when you were young...something that still stays with you?

Holly
http://www.hollyjacobs.com/

PS. According to National Right to Read Foundation, “42 million American adults can't read at all; 50 million are unable to read at a higher level that is expected of a fourth or fifth grader. 20% of high school seniors can be classified as being functionally illiterate at the time they graduate.” (My heart breaks over these numbers!)

PPS. I’m having a contest to celebrate the release of this book. I need to preface the contest info by saying I’m a VERY novice basketweaver. And a number of friends and readers asked me to give one away, so I am!

To enter, just share a favorite Christmas memory...something that gives you that warm glow of homecoming and family. That’s all it takes. (Of course, I do hope you’ll purchase a copy of Homecoming Day, too! LOL) You can find out more at http://www.hollyjacobs.com/contest.html

The Winter Blahs

Winter is upon it, and with it come the winter blahs! Or do they? I’ve been studying some ways to be happy…or at least how to make our minds believe we’re happy. Here are a few things I’ve learned:



If your body language screams happy your mind will soon follow suit. So stand up straight, smile, walk briskly and use a tone of voice that suggests life is worth living.

Participate in random acts of kindness. Give a compliment. Do a favor. Other people’s happiness can generate your own.

Spend time with people you love who love you in return.

Music can greatly influence your mood. It stimulates the same areas of the brain as food and sex. So choose tunes that make you feel good.

Make a list of things that need to get done and cross them off when you’ve accomplished the tasks. It can help you feel in control of your life.

Turn your head to the right. The left side of your brain processes positive info (it’s also the side that is used for puzzles and mathematics), so if you’re more positive you naturally turn in that direction. Trick yourself into being happy by consciously glancing right.

Plan things you can look forward to. Sometimes the humdrum of life can get you down. Knowing you have some fun in your future can be a real boost.

Don’t try to compete with your neighbors. Jealousy is a difficult mistress. Set your own goals. March to your own drummer.

Unclutter. Clutter causes stress. This was mentioned in almost every article I read. So get rid of what you don’t need or use regularly.

Spend some time alone. We all need time to unwind and recharge. Being with others, no matter how much we adore them, comes with certain expectations.

Bring humor into your life. Plan to laugh. Meet with friends who make you chuckle or watch a good comedy. The results are beneficial.

Be less reactive. Don’t allow others to manipulate your emotions.

Spend time with your pet…according to one study pets are considerably better at lowering stress levels than say… a spouse.

Aromatherapy is a proven mood enhancer. Try lavender or rosemary to help you relax.

Spirituality: People who actively participate in some form of religious activity tend to cope better with stress.

Count your blessings. Take time to be grateful. Remember, even in tough times, we are incredibly blessed.

Those are my happy hints of the day. What’s your favorite mood brightener?

Kathleen Says, Take Care Of the Little People

I'm running late this morning, and of course I'm going to explain why. But first--and this has nothing to do with being late, but it does tie in--I have a new book out this week. Okay, not really NEW new, but first time in this format. It's actually a two-for-one reprint of BROOMSTICK COWBOY and DEFENDER, and some of you were taking high school algebra when these books came out. But they're timeless. The book is called A CERTAIN KIND OF HERO, and for me that means the guy who steps up when it's time to look out for the women and children. Old fashioned, I know, but that's--sigh--my hero.

Also, I'm working on line edits. I take this part of the writing process very seriously. I read everything once, and I let it sink in. Then I go through again and do the easy fixes. More sinking in. Then I do any bigger pieces that need tuning up. By this time I have a good sense of what the editor sees that I missed. It's not always a big change in one spot that's needed. It's usually something that's there but needs beefing up. Like all aspects of the process, concentration is key.

Well, yesterday I was moving right along when the school bus arrived. I had approved a two-hour playdate after school because I was told there was a weather emergency. Winter has truly set in here in MN. We have only about an inch of snow on the ground, but do you realize how much that is to a fairy? The girls had a friend coming over to help them make winter homes for the fairies. "Or else they could die!"

Well, you should see the mess!

Okay, this will make me even later, but I'll go take a picture of what's on my counter this morning.

I know, I know. They should've cleaned it up. But they had to get their homework done and shower and you know how that goes.





And these are the houses. (One went home with the friend.) They don't look like much, do they? The cardboard was cut apart, floors were added with beds a-fixed upstairs and playrooms downstairs, and they're really darling on the inside. I asked about leaving a side open so we could see the rooms, but no. Theses aren't for show. Look closely. It says "Pixies Welcome" on the one on the right. These are for housing fairies.

Here's a bed that didn't make the cut. It didn't have a cushioned mattress. So where will these domiciles reside? In front, I'm told, IN FRONT of the Christmas tree. Santa will bring the fairies. "And not the toy ones we got last year, Nana. Real ones. Santa knows the fairies, and he'll be glad to see that we want to help them."

So you see my problem. What if Santa doesn't bring real fairies?

And if he does, will the dog bother them? And what shall we feed them now that it's winter in our woods?

Be my friend on Facebook. My next challenge is to figure out this cross-posting thing. What have the kids in your life added to the mix in your hall decking? And what kinds of stories go along? And how do you handle your revisions?

Winner winner chicken dinner!

Thanks for the comments on short stories yesterday, ladies!  I drew two winners for a copy of SEDUCING THE VAMPIRE and they are:

Laurie
Linda Henderson

Congrats!  Please send toastfaery@gmail.com your snail mail addresses.

Michele

Did you see that ninja?

No?  Don't worry, he's a ninja, you're not supposed to see him.  :-) Sort of like love.  Sometimes you don't see it coming, and it rushes in like a ninja and steals your heart before you even know what hit you.  That's what happens in my latest electronic novella, THE NINJA VAMPIRE'S GIRL.  The story is a quick adventure that takes place one night in London as the heroine quests for an angel's halo, and instead finds herself in the arms of a handsome man who also wants the halo—and isn't afraid to use his fangs to get it.  It's a fast, fun read, and it's part of my Of Angels & Demons series, and a part of my Beautiful Creatures world.
I love writing the Nocturne Bites because I usually do them in first person, and I like to play with that POV once in a while.  Also, the short format challenges me to see if I can make the hero and heroine fall in love—fast.  I've mentioned here before that I believe in love at first sight, well, this story is more like love at first bite.  :-)

To read the first chapter of The Ninja Vampire's Girl, click here!

I made a book trailer, and this is only my second attempt at using iMovie, so it's simple and the music I found was pretty short, so I'm warning you, it's a fast read.



I don't actually have copies of Ninja Vamp to give away, but I do have SEDUCING THE VAMPIRE, which isn't in stores until the end of this month.  I'll give away 2 copies to two lucky commenters.  Tell me if you like short stories, or if you prefer them full-length?


Michele

And the Winner is...

Laney4 has won a copy of Joanne Rock's book! Laney, contact Joanne at jrock008@gmail.com with your snail mail info. Congrats!

Guest Author Joanne Rock

Please welcome the fabulous (and gorgeous ) Joanne Rock to the convertible today!

Finding Creativity

One of the joys of blogging and Facebooking (how dare my spell checker suggest that's not a word) is that I can quiz the world at large with all my burning questions. For example, I wanted to find some great creative writing textbooks for an online class I taught last summer. I could have gone on campus to track down answers, but have you ever tried to find college professors in the summer? Instead, I posed the question on Facebook and had a list of twenty possibilities with a handful of starred preferences in about six hours.

In the same way, blogging allows me to take informal polls and round up feedback on new ideas. For instance, I've been spending a lot of my free time this fall trying to learn more about creativity. It's a topic that's really tugged at me over the last two years as I've grown concerned with the idea of how to recharge depleted creativity and how to maintain that energy over the long haul. To ensure I studied this diligently, I offered to give a workshop on the topic for Carolina Romance Writers in the spring. If I want to have something to share in the workshop, I now have a self-imposed deadline in which to learn a lot! It's a great way to motivate myself--nothing like the pressure of a looming deadline to start studying hard.

Which brings me to the help I'd like from you today...(Could you sense I was going to put you to work?) What makes you feel the most creative? Think back to times when you felt a burst of creative energy--a time you couldn't wait to sit down and scrapbook or a weekend that you were really excited to redecorate your kids' bedroom. Where did that creative surge come from? Were you inspired by seeing something similar on TV or in a magazine? Did a friend accomplish a creative task that motivated you to work on your own?

We all have the power to create and it's a truly rewarding experience when we can step back from our creation and admire the handiwork. Whether the end result of your creativity is a koi pond in the backyard, a romance novel or a cool fort made with the kids, it's time well spent that makes us feel fulfilled. Have you exercised your creativity lately? If not, I hope today's blog will inspire you to tap into your unique strain of creative powers. And if you have, please do share a creative moment. Also, let me know if you can remember where that spark of creativity came from! I've got a signed copy of my December Blaze, Under Wraps, for one random poster!