I’ve been in a bad funk with the writing lately (mostly ignoring it) so I decided to turn my attention elsewhere.

Most of you know I do other crafts. I opened my first Etsy shop to sell my handmade cross-stitch ornaments. I stitch A LOT of Santa faces. They are so cute. But I’m expanding and doing other little ornaments.

Stuff like this:
And this:

As we all get ready to celebrate the holiday season, and I had a post due, I decided to take a look at the changes I've made in 2015 and the impact they've had on me personally and my writing. I thought with the New Year just around the corner, I'd share these with you.  (As you can see, I brought snacks.)

1. Quitting the day job.

Every year, the day after Thanksgiving we head out to find our perfect Christmas tree. This year, we debated on whether or not to get a fake one. I was sort of leaning toward fake and flocked (because I love alliteration) but neither my husband nor I could bring ourselves to spend upwards of $300 on a fake tree.

I know, I know. We could save it for future years. But the biggest problem with that is we have storage issues and I don't think we really want to rearrange the entire garage to store a fake tree. Or even put it up in the attic storage space.

This year, Friday was rainy and cold and windy. It wasn’t exactly the best weather to get out and look for a tree. We decided to hit Lowe’s first and see what we could find. All the trees were wet because it had been raining for the last twelve hours or something crazy like that. We wandered around in the garden section looking at trees and freezing our bums off. We stopped to chat with one of the workers there who had been loading trees most of the morning. Granted, it was midday and there weren’t many people out there but there were a few here and there looking for trees. We knew we only had about an hour before it started raining again to get the tree home.

Not finding anything we couldn’t live without, we headed back inside and looked at the fake trees again. But again… we just couldn’t pull the trigger on that. Back outside, and shivering we were heading out when suddenly…there it was. The perfect tree. We snapped it up and got it home before another downpour.

Isn’t it pretty?

'tis the season...

Thanksgiving is almost under wraps and Christmas is fast approaching. I love to write holiday stories and so far, I've had six published. 

Why write holiday stories? 


1. The time of year is filled with excitement. We're rushing around to find the perfect gift. There are so many fun events to attend. How will we get everything done?

2. Bringing two people together romantically at Christmas is magical. What could be more romantic than bringing people into a relationship during the holidays? Don't we want all the best for everyone? I do!

3. The decorations are gorgeous!! I love setting out my vintage treasures, the smell of a Fraser Fir, the colorfully wrapped gifts. All add an ambiance that is unmatched and adds to the setting in the stories. 

4. The food (see fruitcake. LOL) is awesome. Some of us double dip with a second turkey. Some of us bake goodies galore. And some of us love fruitcake. We eat, we cook, we give and so do our characters. 

5. The F's: Family and friends. Nothing is more special than being with the ones we love. We laugh and share, hug and care. And each time we do, a glorious memory is created which sustains our soul. Our stories want this too.

Here's a sampling from four special stories:

RELEASE DAY!!!

I AM SO EXCITED!!! Today is a special day for me, as it's release day for my holiday boxed set, Mischief Under The Mistletoe! I was honored to be asked to take part in this set with so many talented authors and said yes immediately.

The set includes 19 authors with 19 brand new stories filled with holiday cheer and stories of love and hope and romance. Because we are romance authors and there's nothing we love more than helping people find their happily ever after.

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MISCHIEF UNDER THE MISTLETOE:

Princess Vicki here: I'm thrilled to be part of the Season of Surprises holiday anthology. Last year's Season of Magic was fabulous and now, we're back for more. I asked my fellow authors to share a holiday memory with me. Let's take a peek into their lives?

Here's the entrance with two soldiers standing by:

My friends and I make stops along our route to pop in our favorite antique malls to search for new finds. We have a quick lunch, shop a bit more, and then finish our drive. After we arrive at our destination, we purchase our tour tickets and check in at our bed and breakfast.

Most of the time, we stay at the same B&B. The hostess’ mom researched many of the historical plaques for the community. We usually eat at the yummy Italian restaurant and every time, wonder how the ricotta layer is so light. Then we tour two homes. Afterwards, we go to the park and wander through the Christmas tree land.

Easy peasy!

--CONTEST ALERT! -- Leave a comment for author Adele Downs and be automatically entered to win a firefighter themed Christmas ornament for the holidays. USA and Canada mailing addresses please. Follow Adele’s blog tour for multiple chances to win. Weekly winners announced on Adele’s blog Saturdays through December. http://adeledowns.wordpress.com 

Are you looking for a holiday baked goods recipe that’s different from the rest? Jamey Tucker and Heather Longhurst, the hero and heroine of SANTA TO THE RESCUE, decided to kick off the holidays with Margarita Cupcakes for the Appleton Fire Station firefighters. These decidedly untraditional, but delicious, cakes were such a holiday hit that Jamey and Heather decided to make them every year.

You and your family might enjoy these fun confections too. Here’s the recipe, courtesy of Sauza® Tequila. Posted with permission.

It's Christmastime with the Plotting Princesses. The fireplace has been lit and a crackling fire spreads a warm cheery glow. The stockings are all hung, filled with a multitude of goodies. The presents are wrapped and under the tree. White Christmas is playing softly in the background.

We think it's time for a celebration "Princess Style." In the spirit of the season, we feel it's better to give than to receive. So we're giving . . . and you lucky blog readers get to receive.

Beginning today, December 7th and going through December 20th, whenever you leave a comment on one of the blog entries, you will automatically be entered in a drawing to receive some fabulous prizes. We have some great writers lined up to blog throughout this timeframe and we're sure you'll love their posts.

We've stuffed ourselves with all kinds of culinary delights over the last week, and if you're anything like me you ate way more than you should have and it's time to pay the piper. (Next step—visit to the gym, check.) Then there's Black Friday and all the hustle and bustle, fighting the crowds to find that perfect gift for your friends, family and maybe for that special someone in your life.

Just when you think things are going to slow down and you can finally catch your breath, it's time to decorate!

I think we each have our own sense of style. We dress a certain way. We like a certain type of art. Our homes are decked out with colors and furnishings that suit our tastes. But when it comes to decorating for the holidays, I always say . . . ANYTHING GOES!