Presents I Didn't Get— #OpenBook Blog Hop

It's the day after Christmas, and I hope that whatever holiday you celebrate, your day was happy. Although Christmas is about so much more than gifts, there's no denying that most of us look forward to receiving a package or two. So this week we're taking about the favorite present we ever got, as well as the ones we wanted and didn't get.

The best gift I ever received? That's an easy one. My daughter. She was born a few days before Christmas. The tree was up before I went into labor, thank heavens, and even at a few days old she appeared to watch the blinking lights. I was glad she was born before Christmas, on not on Christmas itself, so we'd always be able to make her birthday about her.

And the gifts I wanted and didn't get? Two come to mind. The first was a Bible, interestingly enough. I think I was a sophomore when I asked for Bible for Christmas and didn't get one. I never asked why not, but I got other things on my list. My parents were religious folks, so it didn't make sense to me. That's probably why I remember it. (When I got my first job, I bought one.)

The second thing I remember asking for and not receiving was a Carrom board. It was a wooden game board that had several different games—checkers, backgammon, a game loosely based on pool that used plastic rings instead of balls, and another game on the back. (see picture.)

And why, you may ask, does this one stick out from all the things I may have asked for and didn't get? You see, my parents encouraged us to make lists from the Christmas catalogs so they had an idea of what we wanted. We all knew we wouldn't get everything on the list and there was a limit to the money they'd spend, but at least we'd get something from the list. So what was so memorial about this particular toy?

One of my older brothers got it! I'm assuming he had it on his list as well. I remember being hurt when he unwrapped it, and knowing there wasn't any way Santa had brought two. I'm sure I got other things on my list, and my brother did share it with all of us kids, but it always bugged me that he got it and I didn't. I eventually bought a copy for myself.

So what did you always want for Christmas that you didn't get? And what was your favorite present? I'd love to hear from you in the comments. And to find out what our other authors wanted, follow the links below.




December 26 - What your favorite Christmas present ever received? What's the Christmas present you never got and wished you did?
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Rainy Day activities #OpenBook Blog Hop

"Walking in the rain with the one I love ..."




I've never been one to be afraid of being out in whatever weather the day throws at me. (with a few exceptions—thunderstorms and -20° temperatures come to mind.) Taking a walk in a gentle rain is a great way to clear my mind. Having lived on the Oregon Coast, I've experienced lots of rainy days and gotten wet (by choice or by accident) many times. Taking a walk along the beach (dressed properly for it) with your favorite person is an experience I hope many of you will have.

But sometimes, you want to stay inside. So what to do then?

The first answer is easy. Read. Better yet, put on some of my favorite music and listen while I'm reading. Add a cup of hot cocoa or tea and a favorite blanket and you have the makings of pure bliss. Do I need to even comtinue?




But I will, because if I don't, this will be a ridiculously short blog post.  And what do you expect from an author but writing? A rainy day is as good excuse as any to avoid yard work and stay inside and write. The rain can be inspiring, bringing with it the scent of fresh air and moist earth, simple joys for a country girl.




Yes, I've danced a time or two in the rain when no one was watching. And I'm not a good dancer!

One more thing I like to do when it's raining. It's the perfect excuse for a long session of needlepointing. I spread my yarn over the nearest surface, settle into a comfortable chair, and watch the pattern develop as I weave the needle in and out of the canvas.

Want to find out what the other authors have to say? Follow the links below the next video. And feel free to tell me what your favorite rainy-day activity is in the comments.




December 19 - Describe a rainy day activity
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TV Shows I'd Bring Back-#OpenBook Blog Hop

So, I'm old. I remember TV shows that are in the history books. Roy Rogers on Saturday morning. Ed Sullivan Sunday nights. The original Captain Kangaroo. Art Linkletter on the rare afternoons I stayed home from school because I was sick. Yep, back in the days when everything was in full black and white.

But those aren't the shows I'd bring back. People have tried and failed.


The original Hawaii Five-O was interesting, but I haven't seen the remake. The Rockford Files never really grabbed my attention although I may have had a bit of a crush on James Garner. I certainly had a crush on Dennis Weaver in McCloud. It was the story of a modern western lawman in New York City (horse and all!) Think Longmire goes to the big city. Small town cop out-thinks and outwits both the bad guys and the good guys. It gets extra points because one of the shows even had John Denver as a guest star. So                                                                                       that's the first show on my list.


The second show I'd bring back is the Smothers Brothers. The show was a mix of comedy, variety and social comedy. Granted, some of the humor went over my head when I orginally watched the show, and I look back at some of the clips and go "My parents let me watch
that?" In some ways, the give-and-take between the two brothers reminded me of my own family. I had a soft spot for one of the continuing guests, Pat Paulson, who ran for president six times, starting in 1968. I'm not so sure he wouldn't have won this year if he was still alive.

Because I like to do things in threes, I'll give you one more show that I'd like to see come back to TV.  I might even be talked into watching it. I only saw the reruns because the show is older than me but I loved the idea of the noble lawman coming into town, righting wrongs, and disappearing into the sunset, leaving behind a silver bullet. The man behind the black mask was a superhero in his own way, long before Batman came to the small screen. Yes, I'm aware of the various reincarnations of the show, but nothing matches the original.


So that's my short list. Honorable mention goes to Remington Steele. Although I wasn't a chold when it was on, and I didn't watch every episode, I enjoyed the back-and-forth between the two main characters played by Pierce Bronsan and Stephanie Zimbalist. I know other shows have tried (and failed) to emulate that partnership, but I don't thonk it's been matched.

So what shows from your childhood would you bring back? Let us know in the comments. And find out what the other authors have to say tn the links below,




December 12 - what television shows from our childhoods would we bring back and why?
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Top Ten List- #OpenBook Blog Hop

Everybody loves a list, right? Well, except when I leave my grocery list hanging on the refridgerator when I go to the grocery store ....

I toyed with what I wanted to list for you. Favorite mountains or places to visit, people I'd like to meet, favorite foods. It would be easy to give you another post filled with photos of mountains and wildflowers. But what do I love as much of the mountains? Books. I'm not only a writer, I'm a reader.

So here's a Top 10 list of favorite series of books starting when I was a kid

Nancy Drew Mysteries (and Hardy Boys)
   Someone gave my mother a bunch of books that their kids had grown out of and several of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy books were included in the box. (Yep, the old blue cover versions.) I loved them and that  became my go-to gift for the next couple of years. Of course, by that time the yellow 'updated' version of the books was in publication. I passed on my entire collection to another young reader when I left for college.

Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
  I don't remember how I was introduced to these books, I know we had the first one at home and I read the rest from the library. Bonus memory: Freckles and the Limberlost stories.

Little House on the Prairie (Laura Ingalls)
        Although I never owned the set, my grade school library has\d the entire collection and I devoured them over the course of several months. This was before they were turned into a TV show.

Fellowship of the Rings (JRR Tolkien)
     I give my oldest brother credit for introducing me to these books. I believe he had to read them for school and he left them behind when he went to college. I still have those same paperbacks. (I'm not the only reader in my family!)

Narnia (C.S. Lewis)
     After reading the Lord of the Rings series, I went searching for other books in the same genre. Which somehow lead me to the Narnia series. I know, not the same at all. Still, I own the entire set.

 Dragon Riders (Anne McCaffrey)
    I'm not sure who recommended these books to me. I started, as you should, with Dragonflight and then just kept reading.I will sadly say that I'm no longer following the series since her son started writing the books. He doesn't hold my attention as well.

Foxfire Books
   You may be asking, what is a series of non-fiction books doing on this list? Well, don't forget I'm an old hippie chick, and my dearly beloved hubby's family hails from the mountains of Tennessee. We're absolutely the target audience for these books! In case you haven't heard of them, they're filled with stories from the older people who lived in the hills and knew how to make something out of nothing. These books preserve the techniques and traditions of the the Appalachian Mountain folk and do it in an entertaining way. If you've never heard of them, you should check them out.

Vows and Honor (Oathbound) (Mercedes Lackey)
     After reading several sword and sorcery genre books with make main characters, I really wanted to find some with female leads.I found these books from an on-line list. If course, it led to reading the other books in the Valdemar series and spin-offs. I think I'm behind on the most recent additions to the collegium chronicles. I need to fix that!

Cutthroat Business (Savannah Martin series) (Jenna Bennett)
     I read the first book because it was a freebie. Loved it. Emailed the author to tell her so. She offered to send me the second book for free as well but I turned her down and bought it. She's up to book 13 (scared Money) now and working on book 14.

Longmire (Craig Johnson)
     I picked up the first book (The Cold Dish) from a bookstore display of local authors. (This was several years before it was turned into a TV show) Anyway, I enjoyed it and got the second in the series. Now I own all of them (except for some off the novellas and short story collections) He gets extra points because he lives in Wyoming.

Bonus books- James Bond. I won't put them on my favorites list, (for reasons I won't go into here)  but I'll pick one up once in a while.

And a bonus picture, because I can! Mountain aspen and Colorado columbines.

To find out about everyone else's lists, follow the links below. And if you have a favorite series tat I didn't mention, tell me about it in the comments.

December 5 - Lists- We love lists. Top 10…. 5 Ways… Worst 3… List helpful hints for your topic of choice.
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Pillar Post— #OpenBook Blog Hop

"Action with a Touch of Romance"

When I first started writing fiction, I didn't put any thought into a 'brand' or"defining" myself as a writer. I was writing for the joy of getting words on paper and challenging myself to do something new and creative.

It wasn't until I wrote my fourth book that I decided to dive into self-publishing, As I've told a few people, I'm just too damn old to wait around for traditional publishers and agents. Besides, I want my books to be my own, not stories dictated by what a publisher thinks will sell. I'm sure my Free Wolves' series would include sex scenes if I wrote them to industry standards, and I didn't feel the stories needed them.

But around my fifth book, I discovered something about myself. I was better at writing action than romance. Sure. my characters fall in love and look for that 'happily ever after' ending to their stories, but the romance is a subplot. My heroes (both male and female) are busy fighting other battles. Sometimes those battles include fighting for their lives. Who has time for romance when the enemy around the corner wants you out of the way and you aren't even sure who the enemy is?


There are a couple of other common themes in my books. I write stories about strong women. Women who take life's challenges in stride and carry on. That's not to say they won't accept help when they need it. That's part of being strong—knowing when they can't do everything by themselves and there's no shame in accepting help from a friend.

I also have a rule about no cliffhanger endings. When I wrote Wolves' Pawn, I thought it would be a stand-alone novel and I tied up all the loose ends. Or so I thought. Somewhere along the way, Tasha came along, and Wolves' Knight came into being. Again, no cliffhanger ending, everything tied up in a nice neat package. Now I'm working on a third book for the series, tentatively titled "Wolves' Gambit," and it features yet another minor character from Wolves' Pawn. Stay tuned for that one!



The same sort of themes run through my Oak Grove Mysteries, although they are written in a different style. They are much more of a continuing story, although the mystery in each is wrapped up in the end.  (I hate cliffhangers!)  I'd already figured out I wanted them to be a series when I finished the first one, The Marquesa's Necklace, because Harmony, my main character, is such a blast to write. I'm working on the third book in that series as well. (First draft is done, now I'm editing, so it won't be long now!) It'll be called "The Baron's Cufflinks." If you lost track, the second book in the series is Her Ladyship's Ring.

The best part is, ten books later, I'm still writing for fun. Don't strain your brain trying to do the math and figure out that "ten" number. A couple of books that I completed will never see the light of day. Not in their current form, anyway.


To find out what other authors have to say, check out the links below. And I always enjoy reading your comments


November 28 - Pillar Post – In-depth posts that define your blog and brand
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Thanksgiving Traditions—#OpenBook Blog Hop

Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop, where a merry group of authors get together to expound on a similar topic in what ends up being  dissimiliar ways. This week we're talking about Thanksgiving traditions.

Growing up in a large family, Thanksgiving was a major event. My mother started cooking several days in advance. On the day itself, the older kids would be part of the preparations. Either helping in the kitchen, or setting up tables and finding enough chairs for the guests we were having. My mother would break out the 'good' china and the 'real' silverware (which needed polished each year.)
 Because there were so many of us, the adults would be at the big table and there would be a separate kids table. There'd be the traditional turkey and ham, potatoes-both mashed and sweet- and a variety of vegatables, along with assorted pies for dessert. Yes, it was pretty Norman Rockwell-ish.

Now that I'm grown up and living far from my birthplace, Thanksgiving has changed. Several times, actually. Depending upon jobs and days off, the traditional feast might be ayt noon or it might be in the evening. The menu has shrunk with fewer people to share the bounty, but it still goes far above a normal meal.

The best part is that we actually all sit down at the table and eat together. I put away whatever book I'm reading and the TV is turned off. I'll break out the poinsettia tablecloth we got from my husband's grandmother and add a few subtle Christmas decorations. It marks the beginning of the Christmas season and its joys.

I'm lucky enough that this year I'll have four days off in a row, So once the leftovers are put away, I'll launch into a mini-version of spring cleaning and even put up a few more Christmas decorations to help me get in the mood.

To find out about the traditions of other folks on the hop, click on the links below, And tell us about your traditions in the comments.

November 21 - Thanksgiving traditions - What are your traditions or what traditions would you like to begin. For those not in the US, how about writing about family traditions?
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Dùsgadh: Essence of Life & a Giveaway!

Dùsgadh: Essence of Life
Book One of The Awakening Series
By Margaret A. Daly

Blurb:
"Ember Malloch has no idea her life is about to get turned upside down. Besides the fact that she sees the dead on occasion, she lives an ordinary mundane life.

Her sister warned her not to provoke the spirits, but Ember has a mind of her
own and she defies Becky at every turn. Now, her life as she knows it will be
changed forever, as an unbridled strength is unleashed upon her.

She will have an awakening like no other as she learns her past, and discovers
who she is..."
Universal Book link: books2read.com/Dusgadh (please use this link)


Editiorial Review:
"Dusgadh: Essence of Life by Margaret Daly is a powerful assemble of teenage angst and the paranormal, concerning the life and times of a young girl called Ember who always felt like the odd one out.

Daly, who has experienced tragedy in her own life, sets the scene for Ember, a girl in middle school who experiences the disturbance of having her family taken from her.

She is left with her sister and just seems to amble along in life until she attends a party as a teenager. It is a party that will change her life forever. After a séanceis held in a park, catapulting Ember into a world of paranormal shocks, she realises that she has a natural gift that brings connections to a previous life.

The book is action packed and will keep the reader engrossed to the end, definitely wanting more from the next series of books. As you read through this book you realise that it will be the first of many to come.Many characters are mentioned in it briefly that will be fleshed out in sequel books in relation to Ember's life.

The book is suitable for older children and teenagers, and dare I say I can see something of the Harry Potter series about this book and its focus on one individual who although from a dysfunctional background has a natural gift for magic and the paranormal.

So I would without a doubt recommend this book if you're a fan of the mysterious and spooky mixed with adventure." -Review by Nick Bishop



~Beginning of Chapter One~
My family was everything to me; it still is, I guess. Unfortunately, my family consists of only two people now. The substance of my life was taken from me. Ripped right from under me, like a Band-Aid from a bleeding wound. The burning flesh is still tender, just like the memory. It’s a day I try not to remember, but the shattered remnant of the girl I once was…she won’t let me forget it. The image plays like a scene from a film, forcing me to relive the worst day of my life.

Extract
I wouldn’t have struggled. I’d never wanted to surrender to anyone before, but still, there was a memory tickling at the back of my mind.
Slowly, he began telling me everything he knew about me, right down to being able to communicate with the dead. How did he know that about me? I knew nothing about him, yet we somehow shared a past.
“Who spoke to me in the park?” My words brought us both back to reality. “Was it you? Where are we?” Questions started pouring from my mouth, “How do you know me so well?”
“No, that wasn’t me, Ember.” Zeb paused, then smiled at my puzzled look and continued on to answer another question. “I have known you since 1896.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s…impossible.” I pushed it aside, believing he had simply misspoken.

Zeb had a look of hesitancy. “Now wait, I know that sounds weird, but let me finish, please. We are in…what’s the correct term?” He lightly tapped his chin, pondering his own question, as if it mattered. “Ah yes, the afterlife.”

Excerpt (Chapter One complete) on website: http://margaretadaly.weebly.com/ember.html

Excerpt (first climatic scene): http://margaretadaly.weebly.com/homeblog/-i-had-no-control-over-my-fluttering-heart-rpbp-supernatural-scifi-thriller-dusgadh
Author Info:
Bio:
Having written her first paranormal fantasy book at the age of forty-three, Margaret Daly has started a wonderful trilogy. Margaret took her life's encounters and crossed a bridge to a world filled with untamed power and endless possibilities.
Being raised in the hills of West Sparta, New York, Margaret lost her home and everything in it to fire at a young age. She dove into the dark world as a teenager and from there on spent most of her life wrapped up in unfortunate situations from bad choices. Margaret learned some things aren't what you expect; some things end up being more.
Now, with her loving husband and four children, a family full of support and love, she has managed to overcome all the oddities thrown at her. Becoming the published author she once dreamed of being as a child but lost track of during this journey we call life.
Margaret is also currently working as an online book publicist and marketing coordinator with Rukia Publishing Book Promotions (Sarah Jane Butfield). She loves her job and the interaction she is able to have with her fellow Indie Authors!
Social Links:
Websites
Personal: http://margaretadaly.weebly.com/
Business: http://www.rukiapublishing.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Dusgadh/
Business:
https://www.facebook.com/promotingauthors/


Twitter Personal & Business
https://twitter.com/mdaly_margaret
https://twitter.com/RPBPMDaly1
https://twitter.com/RukiaPublishing


Tumblr
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/zealousdreamartisan
http://sarahjanebutfield.tumblr.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/bold1971/
Google Plus
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MargaretDalyDusgadh
CoPromote (Join & Follow)
https://goo.gl/RZH1p3
The BingBing (Join & Follow)
http://www.thebingbing.com/mdaly1371
IAuthor
http://www.iauthor.uk.com/profile/margaret-daly:12500
Book Bub
https://www.bookbub.com/books/dusgadh-essence-of-life-by-margaret-a-daly

Book Trailer
https://youtu.be/RsJVIAJI4wo

#RPBP #Giveaway
From now until December 19th Rukia Publishing is running a Christmas Giveaway!!! You don't want to miss this one!

Click the link to enter to win 1 of 3 Prizes!
http://eepurl.com/beMgVv

Change- #OpenBook Blog Hop

We're talking about change in this weels hop and I was going to talk seriously about how I've dealt with change in my life. I've seen a lot of it.

But in the US, we've had a tough week. Emotions surrounding the recent election are running high. People are ecstatic or scared. So I decided to do something different.

I want to give all of you the gift of something beautiful. So here is my favorite kind of change in the form of photos. I hope you enjoy them.

Morning Lake Michigan CO

Setting Sum Lake Michigan CO

Moose- Spring

Moose- Winter

High Plains- Spring

High Plains-Fall

Whaleshead ORon a Sunny Day

Whaleshead OR on a stormy day

Balloon launch- getting ready

In the Air!

And just because we can all use a smile- here's a cat who forgot how to do it!

To find out what the other authors have to say, check out the links below.

November 14 - Change - how do you feel about it, what are some big changes you've undergone, what are some changes you'd like to make or that you see coming?
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Exploring Idioms- #OpenBook Blog Hop

As writers, we have to search to find unique ways to describe everyday life. Sometimes, especially when we write dialogue, we find ourselves resorting to idioms, figures of speech and (gasp) clichés. But where did those idioms originate? That's what we're exploring in this week's blog hop.

I've heard the expression "blind as a bat" since I was young. Several of my siblings fit that
description. One brother needed glasses in first grade.

Of course, we now know that bats aren't blind. Most people know they use a radar-like detection system for hunting, called echolocation. But they can see in daylight, although their vision isn't as sharp as many other night hunters. They aren't really blind

So where did the saying originate? Some scholars point to Aristotle. Supposedly he experimented with bats while he was trying to come up with a system to classify living beings. We also attribute the saying "For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all" to him as it appeared in his work "Metaphysics."

There is also research that suggests the saying originated in the seventeenth century. In John's Clarke's Paromiologia there is a line that reads “Blind as a bat at noone."

The expression now is used to describe more that just a person's vision. It can also be used to describe a person's unwillingness to recognize the truth. In the current political battle in the Unites States, the followers of both major parties frequesntly accuse their rivals as being blind as bats. However, the words they use may not be so polite.

There are lots of idioms out there enriching our language. I'm looking forward to seeing what our other authors bring to the table. :) To find out, follow the links below!

November 7 - Idioms - figures of speech - For example, what does "in a New York minute" mean, where did it come from, what does it mean to you? (I think this might be a fun way to highlight our different cultures).
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Halloween! #OpenBook Blog Hop

It's that time of year, when witches and zombies and cute kids in costumes come banging on your door, holding open their bags, hoping for goodies. The rime of year when adults can pretend they aren't stuck working for a paycheck that gets them through to the next paycheck and they can take on the appearance of their fantasies. The time of year that gets stores between summer sales and Christmas specials.

I remember the days when the kids all wore home-made costumes, ghosts being the simplest and most common.  That was back before the worries about whether the treats being handed out were safe, because of course they were. The chocolate chip cookies the neighbor lady made and wrapped in cellophane were perhaps more sought ofter than the pre-packaged treats from the grocery store. Candy bars were full-size, and no one worried about staples or other foreign objects. Kids could dip into their bags before they got home and the only thing parents needed to do was make sure not too muny goodies got eaten before bedtime. No one ever thought about changing the day trick-or-treating happened just because it fell on a school night. the little kids didn't get to go, but the big kids shared their loot.

Pumpkins only came in one color and jack-o-lanterns were lit by candles. No one gave a second
thought to the possibility of the flame being dangerous. Everyone was smart enough to keep their distance from them.

But I'll fill a bowl with selection of pre-wrapped and safety-checked chocolate candy—yes, I give out the "good" stuff—and put it by my door. And when the doorbell rings, I'll smile and admire the costumes, even if they are store-bought, and feel sad for what they are missing. I'll wave to the parents standing at the end of the driveway and maybe even drop an extra piece of candy into the bag of the kid who isn't with friends or siblings. But I'll keep a lookout for the ones who make a second trip to the doorstep, because that goes against the unwritten rules. They'll get one of the non-chocolate selections.

When the stream of treat-seekers crawls to the barest of trickles, I'll turn the porch light off, lock the door and return to whatever book I'm reading. Probably an urban fantasy, because vampires and elves are fitting partners for the rest of the night.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

To find out what the other authors think about the holiday, follow the links below. And feel free to tell me about your memories of Halloween in the comments.







October 31 - Halloween or related. Feelings, traditions, memories.
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