Dreadfully Absent in Mind, Body & Spirit #TuesdayswithTaryn #burnout #tiredauthor

I've been dreadfully absent around here I know. I can't even remember the last Saturday recipe I shared or Sunday Snippits, but I had to step away for a while and I might still be spotty when it comes to posting.

Last month I took a huge step for a "woman my age" and finally took the road test to get my driver's license. I failed MISERABLY the first time, so I had to wait, practice and go back the following week to re-test. I passed with only 1 thing marked off the 2nd time, so I'm now a licensed driver- look out world! Some have already been warned, but I'll share here, just to warn everyone else.

I'm still getting used to the knowledge that I can come and go, pick up things from the store, do the grocery shopping- ALONE!- I can do birthday shopping now for family in my household without them being with me or finding out what I got them before I get to wrap it.

It's definitely given me a new sense of self and a sense of freedom, but there are days that I find myself wanting to go driving, or take off to go visit family and friends while the hubby and kids are at school, but it would be a 2 1/2-3 hour drive to do so, which is frustrating and makes me melancholy during a season that usually rejuvenates me. This year I'm torn between the joy of this newfound freedom and the fact that I can't just go visit my close friends and family at the drop of a hat.

Another reason I have been absent around here has a lot to do with my writing- or the lack thereof. Even with editing and getting help from fresh eyes to see where my faults lie in my writing, I feel like a car stuck in the mud, spinning my tires and getting no where fast~ except exhausted and burned out. And unhappy. Discouraged. Disappointed in myself and I'm mentally exhausted and even though I KNOW I don't want to give up writing, I just feel tapped out....I still have stories to write, begging me from the inside out to bring them to life, but I have no zest, no zeal, no desire to write, right now.

I found myself cycling through edits until all I wanted to do is cry because I'm so overwhelmed by the work I know needs to be done, not just on the one I've been editing, but the ones that come after, which are "1st-Draft finished". Talk about that sense that you are drowning. I found myself promo'ing for fellow authors and myself (for the one book that is pubbed) more than working on my own stuff that I intend to pub. When I did look at my own stuff, it just made me sick to my stomach and well, when you no longer "love" what you do, sometimes you have to step back and refocus and reassess where you are and what path you are going down. For me, I feel like a snowball, rolling rolling rolling, picking up speed, but headed for disaster. I've even backed away a lot from my real life social networking as well. I check in ever so often but not like I was before.

Now Mercury is in Retrograde and has been for about a week and will be till mid-November (the 10th actually), so I'm too superstitious (or silly) (or crazy) to pick up and start ANY new project at this time. I'm concentrating more on things I need to do around my house, making lists for holiday treats I plan to make before Thanksgiving to take to family and friends, playing seamstress to take up my daughter's oversized costume for Halloween (She wants to be Sabrina the Teenage Witch, though no one will get that unless she explains it. She got hooked on the show this past summer on Netflix/Hulu and just LOVES it). Normally I would dress up too, but I'm just not feeling it this year.

Now, even in my absence/quiet- I still have a book available- Castaway Hearts, which I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you'd check it out and let me know what you think of it, but for right now, I think I'm going to step back from writing all together, at least until after the New Year. I've tried before to step away but I don't think I ever truly gave myself time to clear my head.

I'm so tired. My mind, body and spirit need time to rest and adjust and find the heart of my writing again. I think somewhere along the way, it's gotten buried deep beneath everything else in my life. It's the "autumn of my discontent" and on a personal/emotional level, I'm trying to figure out what's best for me and eliminating stress and unhappiness is a big big part of that.

Besides getting my license, I have two very busy kids~ stepson's on the Academic Team and has meets, daughter's in Jr. Beta, chorus & joined a run club. I visited family & friends during Fall Break earlier this month and with the upcoming holidays and knowing I'm not feeling up to NaNoWriMo next month at all, I think I'm going to step back into my life and try to figure out how to find true balance again. I know I don't have it.

I'm not sure I'll post anymore of the recipes I had slated for the rest of the year, but will try when I think of it. Same goes for the Sunday Snippits. And I will post from time to time, if the mood strikes me. If anyone is interested in taking a Tuesday or Thursday spot for some promo, please feel free to email me and let me know.

To close out today, here's an inspirational blogpost I JUST happened upon today that brought me tears and reminded me that I am NOT alone in being a TIRED writer. I just hope I find my way out of Tired, as well- very soon!

I'M TIRED

at ROMANCE MAGICIANS

from @LouisaCornell

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas!

Today I wish you all the best-

Wonderful times and the companionship of Family & Friends

Delicious food that doesn't just satisfy your hunger, but also warms you through and through because of the time and love that has gone into its preparation.

The stories of loved ones past, shared around with laughter and tears.

In memories perfect, they are still celebrating this holiday season with us as we carry them with us, always.

 

Whether it's sunny or snowing, here's wishing you a beautiful Christmas!

 

Thursdays with Taryn- Holiday Combo Rescue Me/Rescuing Riley Review @BooksbyJennifer

Rescue Me

Sitting in front of her parents’ house in a U-Haul truck at midnight, Amy Mann decides it’s time to break it to them that she’s divorced from her husband and moving back home with her seven-year-old son, Toby. As Amy settles into her hometown, she has a plan to get out of debt, get her college degree, and put her life together.

Enter Captain Riley Pennimon, local firefighter and superhero to Amy’s son. Riley is kind, brave, and civic-minded. The captain does not fit into Amy’s putting-her-life-together plan, and yet he is way too good looking without a shirt. Much to Amy’s chagrin, Toby decides that Riley is just what they need for a happily-ever-after.

Can Amy make peace with the demons of her mistakes and let the captain rescue her? And, can Riley let go of the past and grab onto the family he’s always wanted?

***

My Review:

I can definitively say I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rescue Me. I loved Amy and Toby and the Penny Man! And Granny Delphia! God I love her! I honestly can't count how many times I was moved to tears of heartache for Amy's situation and for Riley's past sorrows. I also can't tell you how many times I literally laughed out loud- the nutcracker, the fancy women bit Amy's father said, and the southern charm of real life and real people that Jennifer Johnson brings to life on the page. I'm honored and humbled to know such a talented author who doesn't just tell a story, but also makes me feel like I'm right there and I know these people and share in their sadness and their joy.  

 ***

Rescuing Riley

A Happily Ever After Novel

Finding time to spend with his wife, taking care of his stepson, and chasing his demented auntie around town keeps firefighter Captain Riley Pennimon pretty busy.

But it’s all good.

He’s ready to call his family done. After all, what more can he ask for, other than a bell around his aunt’s neck so he can find her each time she runs away. And maybe a little more sleep at night.

Riley’s wife, Amy, feels the tension of a husband who’s too pressed by duty to make it home most evenings. Stolen moments here and there with half an ear listening for the phone to ring isn’t cutting it for her anymore. But what can she do? His loyalty and kind heart was what made her fall in love with him in the first place.

When Riley is injured in the line of duty, Amy determines to live out her marriage vows. But Riley’s not the same man he was before the accident—before their lives were turned upside down.

And so Amy decides she needs to protect him. She’ll keep her secret as long as she can, but if Riley finds out….

 ***

My Review:

When I finished reading Rescue Me a while back, I discovered that there was a possibility of a sequel that Jennifer Johnson was thinking about writing, but it would be for the After Happily Ever Line, which are love stories, and life stories, from Turquoise Morning Press, that take us beyond the Happily Ever After. Sometimes there are struggles in life that even interrupt and inhibit that happy ending we all expect. This Line gives us an emotional glimpse into what happens to our favorite hero and heroine, AFTER they've come together.

Life has been good for Amy and Riley and Toby since we left them at the end of Rescue Me, and as soon as you start reading, you can't help but smile when you're reintroduced to these loveable characters. We pick up 2 years later, and things are hectic and, as is the case in all our lives, sometimes circumstances get out of hand, accidents happen and the best laid plans don't quite work out the way we think they will.

This sequel is packed with just as much love and emotion as the first book, making me laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy one minute and then sobbing over the ache I feel for the misunderstandings, fear and unresolved issues our couple have to face. You're instantly drawn back to what is familiar and soon long to see Riley and Amy find their way back to each other, to trust in their love and to redefine what is "normal" for them and their family.

We don't always get what we want, but we often find that, sometimes that's what we need most to help us learn and grow and then we discover it's more than we could have possibly wished for or imagined we could have. As Amy says at one point, "There's a difference between not being planned and not being wanted."

And that's true of a lot of things in life. This 2nd offering is a wonderful addition to any book lover's collection.

 *******

 

You can find out more about Jennifer Johnson on her website

I think this duo would make a wonderful Christmas gift

(especially since the first book is set around the holidays) 

 and you can get both for right around $5!

You can't shake a stick at that.

 

 Rescue Me is available for just 99 cents & Rescuing Riley is $3.99.

(on Amazon- Both book covers above link to Kindle.)

OR

 you can get both over in the

Turquoise Morning Press Bookstore

where Rescue Me is 99 cents & Rescuing Riley is currently ON SALE for $2.79

Tuesdays with Taryn- Losing my Kitchen to the Man of the House

I'm writing this on Monday, as I listen to the thunder and rain and hope that the power doesn't go out before I need to fix supper. As of tonight though (actual Tuesday) the kids will be off school for their break for two weeks. Stepson will be going to his mom's until Christmas Eve and then after that, who knows.

As a family we have a very busy week coming up. Hubby has to work nearly every day, but this coming Saturday he will be off and intends to spend his time baking Chess Cake and Lemon Drop cookies. I figure Girly-Girl and I will tackle the peppermint bark, peanut butter fudge, chocolate cookies, dipped pretzels, and spritz cookies sometime later this week, as we head into the weekend. Too many chefs spoil the soup, or well, get under each others feet and, frankly, on my last nerve. This will be round 2 of the treat making for family and friends. I did the majority of it for my family and friends before Thanksgiving, but now we're doing the 2nd batch for hubby's family's side.

Besides all that, I have a few other things I need to work on- hubby wants sausage balls (Bisquick, sausage and shredded cheese), I'm going to attempt my very first pumpkin log/roll and I've had a hankering for a chess pie. Hubby's cake tastes very similar, but it's just not chess pie, which I haven't had in years.

We need to lay out the turkey in the fridge to thaw on Thursday, the ham on Saturday. We have Christmas breakfast with hubby's dad's side and though I was going to try making homemade cinnamon rolls with bread loaves, I couldn't find any in the frozens, so I'm just going to make a pan of cinnamon pull-aparts, aka- Monkey Bread. Then I'm going to have to convince hubby to fix the turkey on Christmas Eve afternoon because I don't think he realizes how much room it will take up in the oven when we have all kinds of other dishes to fix on Christmas Day that need to put in the oven. There is also the little detail that, no matter how well prepared, I'm not a fan of hot turkey. It doesn't cut well and to me, it seems "spongy."

That brings me to the title of my post. I think I'm losing my kitchen to the man of the house. Ever since hubby's attempt at baking a whole turkey turned out really good, he believes we MUST have turkey AND ham for Christmas, that he needs to be in the kitchen like a head chef and I find myself feeling like I've been reduced to a sous chef. I think hubby forgets that the cooking used to be MY thing on Christmas Day and I fear he's on the fast track to kicking me out of my own kitchen.

Of course, I do the cooking nearly 95% of the time during the rest of the year and I don't mind taking a load off, but I'm still expected to make homemade mashed potatoes and his favorite- mac & cheese (can I honestly admit that mac & cheese is one of my LEAST favorite foods? I like it okay, but I can live without it, especially when I have to make it.). Hubby's Mom is bringing green beans and punchbowl cake and my mom is bringing a plethora of things that are "necessaries" with a turkey dinner- cranberry gel, stuffing to go with the turkey (I'm planning to make gravy from the drippings and we'll have yeast rolls); baked beans and potato salad- for those of us who'd like something a little different with ham and fruit salad, per my dad. Oh, and hubby is insistent that he must make deviled eggs, like my grandma showed him how to make last year (when I was sick and they booted me out of my kitchen- see the pattern?)

The table will be laden with plenty of food and our home will be filled with lots of love and laughter, I'm sure. I guess, if I lose my kitchen for a short time, it's all good. Maybe I won't be the one who's so exhausted at the end of the day. ::wink::

Favorite Christmas Treats- Guilty as Charged

There is just something about the goodies you can get this time of year that you just can't get any other time. My husband's favorites are the Reeses Christmas Trees, which we jokingly call the Reeses Arrowheads because they didn't go to too much trouble on the shape of the mold for them, but he (and I) love the fact that there is SO much more peanut butter in them than a regular Reeses cup. One of my favorites is of course the Little Deb Tree cakes. I once made up a song about it...I can't remember it now, but it was to the tune of "O Christmas Tree" and detailed how wonderfully edible they are. LOL

I love the store bought Holiday butter and sugar cookies. The cheap ones, which for some reason always taste better, but I'm also a fan of those Danish Butter cookies in a tin. When I can't find cookies like those, I can always make my grandma's Basic Spritz cookies, which are a buttery type cookie made with a cookie press.

My family and I have started the tradition of giving some of our family and friends tubs of homemade treats, so this year, the spritz cookies made the list of goodies. Another favorite is Peppermint bark, Chocolate Cream Cheese cookies, my hubby's Lemon Drop cookies, dipped pretzels, Chess cake and Peanut Butter fudge.

I've attempted Chocolate Fudge a couple of years in a row, but this year I decided against it. I've yet to find a no-fail recipe that works for me, so I'd rather not use my family and friends as guinea pigs until I get it right. ;)

I have done butterscotch haystacks before, but the flavor and aroma of butterscotch tends to overpower all the other flavors and sort of takes over. I have a recipe for Rolo Turtles that I'd like to try that simply involves small twist pretzels, Rolos & pecan halves.

 This year I'm going to attempt making a Pumpkin Roll, which I hope is as easy to fix as the Youtube video I watched. I might have to watch it again before I fix it, just to make sure I understand what I'm doing with it.

Pumpkin pie is always a favorite dessert and pecan pie, or turtle pecan pie. I personally would love a chess pie. Hubby's chess cake comes close but it's still just not quite the texture I expect with that flavor.

My dad has done a fruit salad for our Christmas dinner here in my home. My grandma has made apple pie. My mother-in-law and her husband usually brings us more treats than we can shake a stick at.

And Christmas Eve morning, when we have breakfast with my father-in-law's bunch, I've done a variety of dishes, from Pineapple Surprise to breakfast burritos. I think one year I made monkey bread, another time a honey bun cake. This year I'm thinking of making homemade (or almost homemade) cinnamon rolls with thawed bread loaves that you let rise and then bake and homemade cream cheese icing or maybe just my powdered sugar drizzle. I haven't decided yet.

As you can tell, food is kind of the center of our holiday celebrations. I am guilty as charged.

What are some of your family favorites or holiday traditional goodies that you enjoy?

One Blessed Momma~ Tuesdays with Taryn

This week is busy busy. Today is my stepson's 14th birthday. My daughter will be 10 two days from now and I find myself trying to pull back a little, to find balance because life seems to be zipping by- especially this month and the rest of this year.

It seems like it was only yesterday that I moved here, eager to begin my new life with the man I now call my husband, and in that move, I also became a step-mom to a little 2 1/2 year old boy with a big smile and a quiet disposition. He loved his "Doodle Doo" (as he couldn't pronounce Scooby-Doo) and because he also couldn't pronounce my name, he took to calling me "Yoohoo." It's a label I will take with me till my dying day. He STILL calls me Yoohoo and in some ways, I hope he always does.

I can hardly imagine that he's nearly an adult....already. It doesn't seem possible, but here we are, standing at that precipice, knowing we're going to have to let him take flight one of these days. I miss my little man who would fall asleep in my lap or on the couch beside me, and sometimes even under the coffee table. I still remember the fights over lunch and the grumpy refusals at nap time until he wore himself down. I remember changing bedsheets every morning as we struggled to learn to bed-training and rocking his feverish body back to sleep when he was sick or after he awoke from a nightmare and singing to him low and sweet.

I remember many a night sitting at the kitchen table helping him learn his letters and words in kindergarten and the thrill I feel that all the reading I did with him when he was little has turned him into the avid reader he is nowadays. (I know for a fact that my hubby didn't spend a lot of time reading with him and from what my stepson has told me, his mom hardly kept children's books at her house for him)...He currently reads at an adult level in 8th grade and he's already read all the Harry Potter books, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books. He loves Christopher Paolini's Inheritance series, Naomi Novik's Temeraire series and Brian Jacques' Redwall series.

I've said it for years now, but I'll say it again~ He might not have been mine by birth, but he is mine by heart and I love him dearly. 

And then we have my daughter. Ten years have never been so long and so short at the same time. She's my precious gift, my brown-eyed girl, who looks so much like her father, there's no way he can deny her and as far as I'm concerned, she's one of the prettiest things I've ever seen on the planet (but then I'm biased.)

Pregnancy wasn't the highlight of my life- had a lot of nausea, etc, but the resulting bundle of bouncing baby girl was my reward. She's spunky and sharp as a tack. She excels in school and loves it (a blessing). She works hard, and also loves to read, but then why wouldn't she? The hours of reading I've put in for both the kids isn't even a drop in the bucket, from There's a Monster at the End of This Book to Turtle Time and The Story of May, my 10 year old 4th grader reads at a 6th, nearly 7th grade level.

Currently she's reading one of the Harry Potter books for her AR (Accelerated Reading) at school. Some of her favorites are the Ramona Quimby, Ivy & Bean, The Magic Half and The Spelling B series and a couple of her most recent favorites were Karen Kepplewhite is the World's Best Kisser and Dancing Shoes. She's getting Ballet Shoes in her stocking this year (The book, not the shoes. The one mentioned in You've Got Mail). I started her early though on classics like A Little Princess, Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden.

I'm sure I'm forgetting some of her other favorites, but these are ones that I believe have shaped her as a reader. (If only for the reason that she has had me reread them to her, if she hasn't reread them on her own.)

She's a lazy bones on school mornings, but on weekends, her crooked sleepy smile brings me pure joy and even though she tried to smother me with love sometimes, I wouldn't trade her for anything. She's artistic and loves music, has a real stubborn streak (though I'm torn who she gets that from- me or Daddy). Her stubbornness though isn't always a bad thing- she's braver and more outgoing than I ever was growing up. She auditioned for Chorus and got in and she's also in the Gifted and Talented program at school, too.

I'm one blessed Momma to have two wonderful babies.

Christmas with Catherine & Dawson, Part 3. Come join us! #contest #give@way!

Welcome back for the FINAL Christmas with Catherine and Dawson Giveaway!

In Castaway Hearts, Christmas continues to play big role in bringing Catherine and Dawson together. Her heartache over the tragic death of Dawson's brother at sea submerges Catherine in grief and nearly costs her life. I'll share with you now, the scene after she awakens and the gift that Dawson gives her, which is quite intimate and personal.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Catherine glanced down at the blue paper around the box that sat across her legs. It wasn’t heavy and she felt very shy all of a sudden about a gift from him. She had never received a gift from any man.

This was a momentous occasion and she held her breath.

Slipping the ribbon away, she lifted the lid to discover soft pink fabric, decorated with magnificent floral embroidery across the front. Catherine lifted the clothing out so it revealed itself as a new nightgown. She felt heat rush her cheeks.

“Oh, Dawson.” She exhaled in a whisper. “This is too much. You shouldn’t have. What would people think if I told them you got me a nightgown?”

“You don’t have to tell them, you know.” Dawson scooted the tray of food and her other gift to the other side of the bed so he could sit down across from her. Catherine looked up at him and saw the glimmer in his eyes, the sparkle of humor and sincerity.

“I figured you might like a nightgown that was new and fresh.” Dawson admitted in a low voice.

Catherine tried to swallow the lump in her throat, uncertain what to say. She glanced down at the gown she wore. Now she was certain it was not hers.

The idea that she wore a dead woman’s nightgown bothered her, but not as much as gown that lay before her. No matter how practical, this was not the gift of a friend.

A man would give this to his wife in the privacy of their bedroom, without the inquisitive eyes of others. She wondered if he had done the same with Lucinda. Though she sat in the middle of his bed, dressed in naught but a flimsy nightgown anyway, Catherine was not his wife.

“You can’t expect me to accept this. It’s much too personal.” Catherine held the soft fabric in her hands. Silky, smooth, and near transparent, it was much more intimate than a simple nightgown and she wanted to wear it. Her heart thumped in her ears loud as a drum as she shook her head. “This is a gift you give a spouse.”

The last sentence slipped out in a hushed breath before Catherine could stop her erratic thoughts. They trailed off, in wicked daydream of what it would be like to wear the luxurious garment, to have Dawson lay her down on this bed and make love to her.

How remarkable his mouth would feel if it touched her all over, even in her most private of places. She felt the flash of heat across her skin when she looked away from him, embarrassed by her own wayward thoughts.

His hand came into her line of sight and caressed hers. “And what if I wanted that?”

Catherine shot him a look, finding tenderness filled the deep cobalt of his eyes.

“What?”

“What if I wanted you for my wife, Catherine?” Dawson put his hand into his pocket. He withdrew a small object, shiny and golden.

A ring.

 ~*~*~*~*~*~

This the final of 3 Christmas with Catherine and Dawson Giveaways. Each contest begins on Monday and end on Sunday between now and the holidays. I will contact the winner for address information, especially in regard to the gift card choices in this giveaway and I will ship the prize as soon as I'm able once the contest has ended.

Dawson's concern over Catherine having a gown of her own, inspired this giveaway to gift the winner with some "intimate apparel" of their own this holiday season. I hope you'll enjoy it and thanks for joining us!

Pictured above are the items included in this giveaway- 1 SIGNED print copy of Castaway Hearts, a bookmark and each of my 4 business cards (for you to keep or give away to others you think might be interested) and a pair of Blue Shell Tea Candle Holders (included are 6 Vanilla Caramel scented tea candles). I don't have a picture of it, but also included in this is your choice of a $25 Gift Card from either Frederick's of Hollywood or Victoria's Secret.

Please follow the instructions below on the Rafflecopter widget for your chances to win! There are several ways to play. We've enjoyed having you join us!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Party Continues- Christmas with Catherine & Dawson, Part 2. Come join us!

Good morning and welcome back to Christmas with Catherine and Dawson. I'm glad you've joined us! The winner of Part 1 has already been randomly selected and notified, as well as announced on the Rafflecopter widget on that giveaway post.

There's a common thread between the holidays and Catherine and Dawson and it's that spirit of belief, in believing that LOVE is the greatest thing of all. It's having faith to see things through and hope that all is not lost. It takes a while for Catherine and Dawson to believe in their love for each other and even then, obstacles being what they are, there are times when it does seem all hope is lost.

It's moments like those in life, that we should really grasp hold of and believe even harder in love and each other. Christmas shouldn't be the only time we believe in the goodness of others or show kindness and gratitude and appreciation. We must think with our heads, but I think we should BELIEVE and love with all our hearts.

Enjoy this time of year and believe in the greatness of others because you might just be the light in the darkness for someone else. Happy Holidays! Now for the best part!

This the 2nd of 3 Christmas with Catherine and Dawson Giveaways. Each contest begins on Monday and end on Sunday between now and the holidays. I will contact the winner for address information and I will ship the prize as soon as I'm able once the contest has ended. 

Pictured above, a Candle holder with candles to "light the way" and a Golden "Believe" tabletop decoration, and 1 SIGNED print copy of Castaway Hearts, bookmark and each of my 4 business cards (for you to keep or give away to others you think might be interested.) I am also including a few "secret Santa" type holiday items as well, but Shhhh.....those are secret, after all!

Please follow the instructions below on the Rafflecopter widget for your chances to win! There are several ways to play. We've enjoyed having you join us!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas with Catherine & Dawson, Part 1. Come join us! #contest #give@way

Welcome to our Christmas with Catherine and Dawson Giveaway! 

Make yourself at home, snuggle in front of the fire or sip some cocoa. Please feel free to leave comments as well! We'd love to hear from you! Rather than idle chit-chat I say it's time to get this party started, so away we go!

As Catherine awakes on Christmas, discovering herself in Dawson's bed after she nearly drown in the ocean, she also discovers that her grandparents have been there, and have left her a gift.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dawson hummed as he filled two plates with food. Rose baked a roast with potatoes, corn, crushed cranberries and buttery rolls. He poured Catherine a bowl of broth, still warming on the stovetop, though he knew he should stir the fire and keep all of it warm until he could put it away.

With a tray filled to the edge with good food, which included two tall glasses of water and some warm tea in a small kettle, he headed back up the dark staircase to the bedroom.

When he reentered the room, he set the silver tray full of food on the bed in front of her. She still sat with the covers up around her, chest high, her expression so innocent and wide-eyed, and her fiery hair mussed and full around her shoulders.

“Have my grandparents been by?” The first words out of her mouth, she reached over to take one of the glasses of water.

“Go slow on that. You haven’t had much to drink and too much at once could make you sick.” Dawson nodded to the glass, and then continued. “Yes, they were here earlier in the day. In fact, they’ve been here off and on throughout the week.”

He walked across the room, picked up the fabric wrapped gift, and brought it to her.

“This is for you. They left it here in case you woke up soon.”

Catherine smiled and touched the delicate green ribbon wrapped around it. She glanced up with shimmering eyes.

“Are they very upset with me?” A fat teardrop trickled down her cheek.

“No, Catherine. They were glad I watched over you, though your grandmother wasn’t all too happy about the horseback rides. Overall, they’re all right with it. In fact, the Captain insists I keep you here until you recover. He thinks it’d be better not to move you for fear it might hinder your condition.”

Catherine sighed and took a deep sip of water. Dawson watched how she eyed the present.

“You may go on and open it. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”

She undid the ribbon with slow ease and let the fabric slide away. When the wrappings fell aside, a wooden jewelry box with an intricate rose carved into the lid appeared. She lifted the lid and pulled a slip of paper from it. She read it, then placed the note back inside and closed the lid, her hand lifted to cover the quiver of her lips.

Her tears flowed free now and caught him off guard.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. This box belonged to my great Grandmother Barrett, to be passed down to the oldest granddaughter.”

 “Ahh, that is very special.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This the 1st of 3 Christmas with Catherine and Dawson Giveaways. Each contest begins on Monday and end on Sunday between now and the holidays. I will contact the winner for address information and I will ship the prizes as soon as I'm able once the contest has ended.

Pictured above, a beautiful wooden jewelry box, with twist clasp closure, 1 SIGNED print copy of Castaway Hearts, bookmark and each of my 4 business cards (for you to keep or give away to others you think might be interested.) There will also be a few other Christmas Gifts included.

Please follow the instructions below on the Rafflecopter widget for your chances to win! There are several ways to play.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#SCENTsational Saturdays Favorite Jovan's Vanilla Musk

Another soft scent by Coty. I just discovered this one in the four pack gift set I got last year with Christmas money. I was surprised that I enjoyed it, as usually I prefer a more realistic vanilla scent. If I'm wearing it, I usually prefer to smell like a sugar cookie, but instead this one has subtle tones of cedarwood, sandalwood and musk, giving it a much more exotic fragrance than simply smelling of fresh baked goodies.

We're getting started on these holidays and this inspires me into a different direction musically...

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

Black Friday & Cyber Monday- Do You Join the Crazed?

I, for one, don't go out for Black Friday Sales. I'm sure it's great to get the discounts, but I'm not real crowd-friendly when it comes to the masses trampling into stores and oftentimes fighting over items that I could have easily gotten online or through a catalog without the hassle of the stress and headache of going out into the insanity.

And so, that's part of why I pooled together some of my fellow authors links today, in case anyone else want to do some cyber shopping, not just for Cyber Monday, but Black Friday as well (and there are some contests and giveaways coming up in the very near future as well, so take note and if you have to, bookmark this page to come back for links!)

Kallypso Masters
Selena Blake's Black Friday Sales (Black Friday-Cyber Monday)
Wicked Cucumber 99 Cents Black Friday Sales
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Hallee Bridgeman's having a
Super Black Friday to Cyber Monday Sale
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 Black Friday Sale at Turquoise Morning Press
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Though not part of the Black Friday sales, Kathleen Brooks is doing a
12 Days of Christmas Giveaway, starting December 1st. Prizes can be won on DAILY basis!
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And, don't forget to tune in Monday, November 26th, here on my blog for the 1st of my 3 giveaways. It's not Cyber Monday related either, but it is the start of my

Christmas with Catherine and Dawson Giveaway!

Upcoming Holiday Plans-Come spend Christmas with Catherine & Dawson (from CASTAWAY HEARTS)

Okay, I've been remiss in offering very many contests since CASTAWAY HEARTS came out in April of this year, but I figure now is a wonderful time to invite you all to join in the celebration with Catherine and Dawson.

A couple of the key events in CASTAWAY HEARTS happens right around Christmastime and I'll be sharing about them over the next couple of Mondays. I thought, what better way than to spend the holidays than with two of my favorite characters.

So.....

Starting November 26th and running over the following 3 weeks- I will be doing a giveaway each week, starting on those Mondays. Each contest/giveaway will run for a week. I'm running these contests through Rafflecopter and there are several ways to enter to win the prizes, from liking my FB Page or following on Twitter, to answering a question in the comments. I will pick the winner each Monday and contact them as the next contest gets underway for the following week.

One prize in each giveaway will be an autographed PRINT copy of CASTAWAY HEARTS, along with a bookmark and some of my business cards for you to either keep or share with others you think might be interested. There are also other items and special treats as well that are book and holiday related, so come by and hang out and fill in those Rafflecopter requirements in order to get your name in the pot for the chance to win some of these wonderful prizes.

Remember, the contest will run from midnight (Eastern) the Monday it starts until midnight (Eastern) the Sunday it ends. This is to give me time to set up the next one. I will be posting my blogs on those Mondays at my regular time of 5AM Central, but for anyone who wants to get their votes in early when the giveaway begins, if they happen to be up, you can go to my HOME PAGE of my website and enter there.

Be sure to share this info with your friends and fellow readers alike who might be interested in joining us for the holidays! Looking forward to seeing you here!

~Taryn

Thursdays with Taryn~ Halfway There #NaNoWriMo

Are we about ready for Thanksgiving next week, peeps?

Already, today marks the 1/2 mark of NaNoWriMo- Day 15- on which, if you go by the minimum amount of words required to write 50K words by Day 30, you should be sitting somewhere around 25,000 words. Simple and it makes sense, eh? I have just a little under 27,000.

Yesterday was not a very productive writing day. I awoke feeling like my throat was doing this "allergic reaction" thing I've had happen in the past- where my uvula (punchy bag) elongates and hangs lower, nearly sitting on the back of my tongue. It's probably not life threatening, but it can be scary when it happens. I have trouble breathing past it because it wants to swing forward and causes me to gag, but when I swallow, it feels like a lump, like I'm going to swallow my uvula and choke to death on it because it falls back and covers the windpipe.

I never quite figured out exactly what caused it to happen the first time when I was in my early twenties, but after seeing a doctor about it, I was given corticosteroids for it and advised me to keep Benedryl on hand as well. It took about 2-3 days to clear up. He said it appeared to be some sort of "allergic reaction" to something I'd come in contact around that time and perhaps it was something I never had used/eaten/etc. I avoided certain things- such as Herbal Essence shampoos, Baby Ruth Candy bars, Rally's burgers and fries. I was a smoker at the time though, too, and I often wondered if I might have smoked one too many cigarettes the night before in the cool night air, but who knows. I'm not a smoker anymore though, so that would not explain it away now. I've also since given Baby Ruth the benefit of the doubt and didn't have trouble with it, but as for the other things- I typically avoid them.

That's not to say it's never happened again, as yesterday morning proved. From time to time I have had a flare up and I simply attribute it to allergies of some sort and pop a Benedryl capsule. That usually does the trick, but therein lay my problems with writing yesterday- between the intense grogginess and my eyes being itchy and blurry, I also had the urge to curl up in a ball and go to sleep beside the cat. I'm sure she wouldn't have minded at all, but I fought to stay awake so I could write and then still couldn't fight my way through the haze that fogged my thoughts. It sucks so bad when I can't seem to compose a coherent thought or put down more than a few mediocre sentences.

I definitely need to get more writing done. This weekend and into the following week I have cookies and treats to prepare for family and friends I will see around Thanksgiving. I have travel and hopefully the weekend after Turkey Day, I will have the energy to decorate my Christmas tree and hopefully get the outdoor decorations up as well.

I also have some really exciting plans in the coming weeks- some really cool holiday surprises that might include something like autographed print copies of Castaway Hearts and a few special gifts as we get further into the festive spirit of the holidays. You'll want to stick around to find out more about my upcoming

Christmas with Catherine & Dawson Giveaways

So definitely stay tuned for news about that!

Here's to getting some writing done today.

Happy Writing fellow NaNovelists!

Happy Reading fellow Bookworms!

Boo! Happy Halloween!

To all those with children who'll be out tonight trick-or-treating, please remember to dress in bright colors or use those glow sticks and necklaces, flashlights, reflective garments, etc. Keep those babies safe and sound and if it's going to be a cold one where you live, be sure to dress warmly! Don't forget to brush after all the sweets and have fun!

For those who might partake of mid-week Halloweenie parties- be safe, have a designated driver if there's drinking involved and watch out for the little ones!

And don't forget- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown airs tonight on ABC (7PM Central/8PM Eastern-check your local listings) for those who might enjoy a little Peanuts tradition!

I'd also like to say-

Bright blessings and warm wishes for those celebrating Samhain Eve today and Happy Halloween to everyone!

No matter what the day brings, I hope everyone has a wonderful time and a safe holiday!

(I got to get ready for NaNo- It starts TOMORROW!!! CAN'T WAIT!)