Let it snow, let it snow.... Really? Post by author Jessica E. Subject

As I sit here writing this post (last Friday), it is snowing. It has been snowing all week. And not little amounts that are nice and pretty, but a few inches at a time. In some places, there is over a foot of snow to walk or drive through. My kids haven't been lucky enough to get any snow days, but the children who live in the areas around Stratford have had at least three snow days this week. It's hard to believe I was wishing for snow at Christmas.

There are some things I do like about winter and the snow though...

1. Snow is pretty. (When it's just fallen.)
2. Snow on the ground lights everything up, and makes it less creepy walking the dog in the morning.
3. Cold = no bugs. I do like going outdoors, but I really don't like bugs.
4. You can dress for the snow and cold. Yes, layers work. I always say it's easy to put more clothes on, but in the humidity, one can only take so much off before they're naked and still covered in sweat. (And not in a sexy way.)
5. Winter fun! As a family, we love to go tobogganing, tube sliding, and just playing in the snow. Our dog loves this weather, too, and acts like a big puppy. Makes for interesting walks.

So tell me, do you like the snow? If so, what part do you like the most?

If you prefer the warmth indoors, here are some 99¢ sexy stories to heat up your days and nights.

Only 99¢ for the month of January...

Accidental Romance - Amazon | All Romance | Decadent

Made For Her - Amazon | All Romance | Decadent

Unknown Futures - Amazon | All Romance | Decadent

Jessica E. Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotic. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook

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Leah Braemel on toques, toboggans, and knitting!

Hi everyone! And thanks to Kacey for inviting me to join Romance Eh?

I guess I should introduce myself. *drums fingers and tries to think of a way to sound interesting. Nope, I got nothing.*

Let's start with the basics. Like, my name -- Braemel -- for some reason people have problems pronouncing it. A lot of people pronounce it as BRUM-mel or BRAH-mel (I'm not a brahma bull, believe me!) but I say it as Bray-MEL, the emphasis on the last syllable. And it's A before E.  But really it doesn't matter how you say it as long as you can find my website and buy my books. ;)

I'm from just east of Toronto, Ontario, though that may be changing later in the year depending on the Ontario government and what they decide to do with my hubby's job. As a kid we moved around a bit and lived for a while in my birth city of Montreal, Ottawa and then to a few other small central and southern Ontario towns. I married my college sweetheart back in 1978 and we're still going strong. We have two sons who are now both taller than me -- I'm still adjusting to being the shortest in the family. (Though it helps when my 6'2" youngest can reach those shelves I would have to drag out a stepstool for -- at 5'7" I'm not THAT short, but there are still spots I can't easily access.)

We have a three year old shih tzu named Seamus who behaves more like a cat than a dog -- as in he's the most stubborn dog I've ever met and wants to sit on the arm of the chair like the cat.

We also have a cat named Turtle who in addition to be a crazy cat often behaves like a dog should -- as in he comes when he's called. Although come to think of it, I think Turtle owns us rather than the other way around.

I've worn a lot of hats during my career -- nurse, admin assistant, teacher, and now author. I write steamy stories--westerns and romantic suspenses, but all but one are set in the States. Which means unless I'm writing a Canadian location or character, I've had to learn to edit out my Canadianisms. Like how in one of my early manuscripts of Private Property, my first published story, I had my heroine pulling on a toque.

To which my American critique partners all went "Huh? What's a toque?" (Did you know that in Texas, toques are known as toboggans? Yeah, that one had me and my family howling like monkeys in laughter because who pulls a sled on their head?) But I listened to them and my heroine now pulls on a knit cap.

By the way, the photo above is of the very first toque I knitted, and only the second project I'd knitted at the time. I just discovered knitting in the fall -- a friend of mine suggested we take lessons together after seeing all the beautiful knitted work inspired by Outlander. OMG talk about addictive. Not that I've made anything for me yet -- all my projects have been given away as Christmas presents.  Well, other than the toque. Knitting has been a godsend for letting me unplug in the evenings, and for some reason I've found that it's helped my creativity.

If you want a sample of what I write, on New Year's Eve I released First Night, a short story that is a prequel to Private Property -- it would be a good place to start if you love romantic suspenses, as PRIVATE PROPERTY is the first book in my HAUBERK PROTECTION series.

If you like westerns, there's my Grady Legacy series -- start with Slow Ride Home, and if you love steaming hot erotic westerns (these are menages), try Texas Tangle, or my lone historical Tangled Past. (You can also buy both Tangle books as a bundle.)

Oh and you can find me all over the net:
My Website
Facebook (profile) 
Facebook (page) Not sure how much you'll see with the changes though unless you add the page to a list.
Tsu 
Pinterest (I admit--I'm a Pinaholic)
Twitter

Anything else you want to know about me? How about you tell me about yourself? Do you have any hobbies? What genres do you like to read?  And ... go!



 

A New Year, A New Social Media Site! So, What About Tsu? By @KarynGerrard #Networking

First Off, Happy New Year! And welcome to the new members of Romance Eh, Canadian Style, Leah Braemel, Kali Willows, Deb Cooke, Kayleigh Malcolm!

 

Okay. I've joined Tsu (pronounced Sue). Not another social media place! *groan* So why join? I really can't stand Facebook, never did. There, the truth.(If you like it and it works for you, yay!) Also, I don't like the fact Facebook follows my every move and decides what content I should see, demanding I socialize more if I want to see more people in my newsfeed.

First off, I'm a writer. I write. I don't spend huge chunks of my time on any social media. Its a few minutes here and there during the run of a day. Also, who has time to interact with all your 'friends'? I have 3100 on FB. Its impossible. So people dropped out of my newsfeed into a black hole never to be heard of again.

I recently deleted a whole ton of photos from Facebook and was shocked to see how much interaction there was when I first joined in 2011. Photos I posted would have 80 likes, 40 comments. Then around 2013, it all changed. FB monetized, tweaked their algorithms, and interaction dwindled to nothing. In 2014, it worsened.

I see now having too many friends is quite insane. No normal person with a job and a life can keep up with it all. Yes, I know Facebook is a social site, not a place to sell your books, and Facebook will be pounding that point home starting this month when they will supposedly start cracking down on any posts that smack of promotion or selling something (on profiles, I mean) FB wants that limited to pages.

Fair enough. But out of 2050 likes, only 24 people see my post on my page. Facebook's answer to this is  "Buy an ad!" That tears it.

And its the reason I am trying Tsu. I've seen people curl their lip in disdain over the concept, calling it a pyramid scheme, and in a way it is. The more you share, comment, like, interact, etc... the more money you make. I don't give a tinker's dam about making money on a social media site. (I've made 9 cents so far, *snort*) If it's something you would like to try, have at it.

All I want out of Tsu? To have everyone I am 'friends' with to see everything I post, and I in turn, want to see everything they post. That's it. Simple.

There are some limits. (pictured left) As there should be. The interface is much like Facebook and encourages the use of hashtags like on Twitter.

Some are grumbling already their streams are full of promo. Well, yeah. Your 'friends' are authors, bloggers, and readers. They are talking and sharing about...books. I'm fine with that. And yes, the more popular authors are getting more exposure and shares. It's the way of the world. (One popular author already announced she made $100.00 on Tsu, yay for her)

I've friended or have been friended by many reviewers and bloggers on Tsu, a better connection than I ever had with them on FB or Twitter. If a blogger comes across my post about one of my books on sale for 99 cents, shares the post, I say mission accomplished.

One thing I will be doing different. I will not be letting the friend numbers get out of hand. I want a good mix of authors, bloggers, and readers. If I don't know a person and they are not involved in the romance world in some capacity, I won't be friending back. I've had some guy keep friending me after I declined 3 times. I just found the block button. Done. I am keeping a firm control on who I want in my circle. Wish I had done that with Facebook.

Thanks to Tsu, I am interacting with authors I lost track of on Facebook. Also, when you post on Tsu, you can also post on Twitter and Facebook at the same time with a click of a button. I like that as well.

So far Tsu is all right. I am cautious about it, they don't seem as intrusive as FB but who's to say when Tsu gets bigger they won't introduce their own draconian rules and regulations? They have signed up 1 million users in less than five weeks.

I will keep my eye on it so how it goes, post promo, pictures and recipes that catch my eye (and man candy) Keep it social enough, but keep my private life private, and have fun discussing books. It was all I ever wanted out of Facebook (and never seemed to accomplish). Willing to see if Tsu will deliver. I am willing to give it a go.

Want to give it a try? https://www.tsu.co/KarynGerrard  You can sign up through me. Cheers!

Happy New Year to our Readers!

Well, 2014 is essentially over. Where did the time go? Time seems to be rushing along quickly year after year and some days it's like we can barely hold on for the ride!

We have some exciting new additions to our blog this coming year. New authors whose posts are going to keep you entertained, buying books and wanting more! We're thrilled to welcome them all. You'll hear about all their book goodies soon!

All of here want to wish all of our readers the absolute best 2015!! And if you're partying it up this evening, have a wonderful time. Travel safe!

Wishing you a wonderful 2015! Plus, 50¢ ebooks! #ebook #sale #newyear

Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying the holiday season. As this is my last post of 2014, I want to wish you all the very best in 2015! Starting in January, I will be blogging here on the 12th of every month, and I am excited about all of the new Canadian romance authors joining us, too. :)

In 2015, I plan to finish many of the stories I've started, some part of a series, and others totally different than anything I've written before. Stay tuned...

Before I go, I want to tell you about a big sale going on right now. First of all, the titles of my futuristic dystopian GLBT series, The Underground, have all be reduced to 99¢ each at all e-tailers. You can find more information about them and buy links here.

Plus, I have several titles that are on sale for only 50¢ at Coffee Time Romance. You can find those all here.

Happy reading!

Author Bio:

Jessica E. Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotic. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook

Pinterest | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

Happy Holidays! Naughty Merry Christmas Box Set Sale ~ 0.99 cents Reg. 8.99 by Jan Springer

Seasons Greetings!

Hi! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and rocked your presents around your tree. We tossed our artificial tree over this year for a real one out of my backyard - I have 4 acres, so it was easy to pick from the few green Spruce trees I have growing along our stream.

Squeeee! I got my Christmas present - a propane fed fireplace / stove for my writer's retreat so I can use the place more often in winter. Also had a surge protector put into the circuit breaker to help with the freaking lightning storms we always get. I hope you got all the presents you wanted and you had a wonderful day.

My naughty assistant Amelia snuck a Christmas Box Set sale out to my readers, so I am excited to extend the sale for a bit so you can catch it too.

Here's Amelia's post:

A NAUGHTY MERRY CHRISTMAS SALE!

Just $0.99 cents! Regular $8.99

A Touch of Menage Box Set - Ultimate Six-Book Collection

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/492606

Kindle - http://smarturl.it/atouchofmenagekindle

All Romance eBooks - https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-atouchofmenageboxset-1714157-166.html

Hi! I’m Amelia Black, Jan Springer’s personal assistant.

While Jan is out and about doing her Christmas shopping, I’m being naughty and slipping “A Touch of Menage Box Set” beneath the Xmas tree at a hugely reduced price.

The sale is for a limited time only. Don’t tell Jan that I am being bad. LOL

Enjoy the first Five stories in her Key Club series plus a Christmas bonus book - Cowboys for Christmas @.99 cents! (all stories have been previously published)

Merry Christmas from Jan, Amelia and the rest of the crew at Spunky Girl Publishing!

Holiday Hugs & Happy New Year!

 Jan

My Top Ten Christmas Movies By Eve Langlais

Full disclosure, I recycled this post lol, but in my defense, it's been a crazy busy month :D

I'll admit, I am a Christmas fanatic. I love the glitz and tinsel and tacky decorations. I adore shopping for special gifts--and jokes--for my family. And I am a sucker for a great Christmas movie with feel good moments and humor. Here's my top ten favorites:

1. Santa Vs. The Snowman – Funniest cartoon ever! I snicker like a fiend when the elves come out with their hot cocoa guns.
2. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – A classic. I love it when Chevy Chase get’s that Hallelujah moment with his lights. Now if I could just convince hubby to get on our roof and truly light our own place up, lol.
3. Rise of the Guardians – Love Russian Santa with his tattoos. The imagination and animation in this movie is incredible.
4. Rudolph The Rednose Reindeer – BUMBLE rules! This is a nostalgic one that always makes me think of being kid and the excitement I used to feel as the holiday season approached.
5. Santa Claus is Coming To Town – I love the music in this one and the story of Santa’s origin. And yes, I sing along, which annoys my kids to no end.
6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (original cartoon) – A classic with great music. And while I don’t know the darned words, I fake it as I croon with the Who’s.
7. Arthur’s Christmas – The elf and his tape make for some lolol moments. I also love the high tech explanations. Fun to watch with the kids.
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas – Because I’m strange it makes the list.
9. Home Alone – Am I the only mother who gets mad anyone could forget her baby? My kids love it, and every year I yell at the mother.
10. A Christmas Story – Fa Ra Ra Ra Ra, lolol . My hubby loves this movie so much that when I found a smaller version of the leg lamp, I had to buy it for him. It has a place of pride in his mancave, lol.