Hawaii Five-O--The Fix I Needed

It was raining/snowing last night and we took our family to look at Christmas lights.  The little kids oohed and aahed, but the big kids were debating the best lines from Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Not exactly conducive to the Christmas spirit, but hey, at least they weren't arguing and/or whining.  I was happy for that.

I came home, everyone got ready for bed, and I snuggled in my blanket and turned on the TV for my show.  I needed a Hawaii fix and this was my one chance to get it before Christmas.  Thank you Hawaii Five-O writers for delivering!

It starts out with McGarrett and Catherine eating in the car before they get car-jacked.  The look on Steve's face when he's talking to the carjacker/Catherine and Catherine's exasperation with him was funny.  I really love those two together.  But I have one teeny tiny criticism---when Catherine is beating up the bad guy (which was an awesome fight by the way) she doesn't have a mark on her, which just didn't seem realistic to me. And then Steve bursts in and doesn't even ask if she's okay.  No concern at all.  I really want him to show a little protectiveness toward her.  She's been in two fairly dangerous situations and he's never even said, hey, you all right?  I know, it's picky, but that's my one unfulfilled Christmas wish from last night.  Although I have to say, him showing up at the end dressed like that, and picking her up with that determined look in his eye was pretty good.  It almost made up for his lack of concern earlier.  *le sigh*  Officer and a Gentleman moment for sure.

The story was good as well--lots of twists and turns, which I like.  Danny saying "rotah" made me laugh.  I thought the little kid was a good actor and really sold it.  The scenery was magnificent as well, and with the rain and snow outside my window, it made my longing to go to Hawaii that much more intense.  Someday, my friends.  Someday.

So, overall, this Christmas episode was a winner in my book.

How are you passing these cold winter nights these days?

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Book Lover's Holiday Hop Winner & Christmas Stories--Got Any Good Ones?

With the Frog Blog Christmas Reunion last week, I'm afraid I didn't announce who won the Book Lover's Holiday hop last week.

The winner of the Book Lover's Basket is:  *drum roll*

M.R. Buttars!!

Congratulations!  I will be contacting you for a snail mail address for your prize package.

I have been reading Christmas stories these past two weeks like The Candy Cane Queen by Janice Sperry, (so cute and fun! Really a great read.)  Bah Humbug by Heather Horrocks, (loved the premise of this one, even if the ending might be a little too happy.  But hey, it's Christmas, right?)  The Christmas Sisters by Annie Jones, It Really Is a Wonderful Life by Linda Rondeau, Mistletoe Mischief by Stacy Netzel (good story, but a shade on the steamy side), and How Will Christmas Find Us? by various authors.  (I loved this one because I got to be part of the compilation.)

I made a goal to read 112 books this year and I'm short of my goal so I've been reading like crazy.  Most of these were freebies on Kindle so I downloaded them and I can only really recommend The Candy Cane Queen, Bah Humbug, and How Will Christmas Find Us?.  The rest were, well, not my Christmas wish for a Christmas story.  One of them actually was so redundant I had to check and see if I was reading the same chapter again because the characters just kept saying the same things over and over.  I love Christmas stories, but I still want to be entertained, do you know what I mean?

So I'm still on my quest for good Christmas stories to read.  I have Kerry Blair's new book, For God So Loved the One, on my to-read list and I'm looking forward to that.

Have you found any new favorites on your Christmas reading list this year? Any good recommendations for me?

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Frog Blog Christmas Reunion---Sariah Wilson

Were this a true Frog Blog reunion, my post would show up sometime in the next few days when I finally got around to blogging.  But since everyone else is being so timely, I will only be a few hours late.

In the last eighteen months I went from feeling as if I totally wanted to give up on writing to being thoroughly inspired to get myself back in the game, thanks to indie publishing.  I felt like the writing was on the wall and I could see what was coming (and is happening now) in the publishing industry.  I didn’t want to leave my future in the hands of corporations that could go bankrupt (hello, Dorchester!) or merge (hi Penguin and Random House!) or get sold, tying my copyright up for decades.  I wanted to retain control.  And keep the money.

So I put out a sweet, fluffy YA romance, “The UglyStepsister Strikes Back.”  (Now with new cover!)  My Frog Blog connection - Jeff Savage helped me write the blurb and Julie Bellon gave me an awesome review.  I loved every second of writing this book – of not having to worry about whether an agent or editor would love it, or if was being written for a specific market.  I loved having control over who edited the book (Eschler Editing and Melinda Fulton).  I loved picking out the cover artist (Scarlett Rugers, check her out!). 

Now, this is not to say that I haven’t been languishing in obscurity.  Because I have.  JA Konrath said there was a certain amount of luck involved after you doing everything you could – and I think I’m proof he’s right.  I know it’s a good book.  Because everybody I’ve talked to who has read it seems to love it.  I didn’t put up garbage.  But I’m a teeny-tiny pinprick of light in a large, vast publishing universe.

I was hoping the indie publishing thing would mean less marketing, and not more.  But that’s simply not the case.  While I’ve done a lot so far to get the word out, it obviously hasn’t been enough.  I have some plans in store for the new year, and I’m working on getting some new releases out.  I would say I’ll let you know how it goes, but you’ll probably have to email me or something because like Stephanie, I don’t blog all that often.  (Yes, I know that this really surprises you.)

So here’s to hoping that 2013 will be a banner year for all of us – may you find the time to work hard and may you find some measure of success with the things you do!

Merry Christmas!

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Frog Blog Christmas Reunion---Kerry Blair

Just for the record, I voted to hold this reunion next week. My thought was that it would make a nicer gift coming that much closer to Christmas, and . . . okay! Hold your comments! I’ll come clean. My actual reasoning was that if we “reunited” next week my day would fall on Friday, December 21 and, with any luck at all, the ancient Mayans would be right, the world would end, and nobody would ever know I missed yet another Friday! (Worst case scenario: the world wouldn’t end, but none of you could expect me to hear that news from my bunker deep beneath Mingus Mountain.) But, nooooo. Everybody else wanted to blog this week, so here we are pre-apocalypse. I’m sorry.

I sat down to write this yesterday. I had just teared up over Julie’s blog, so I started out echoing what everybody else said about how much we love, appreciate, and miss you guys. Well, you know me: six thousand words later I was sobbing outright and my elderly pit bull, picking up on the maudlin vibes, was pressed against my leg, howling harmony.

For the sake of us all, I walked away from the computer then to try again this morning. You’re welcome.

So, first I asked myself: Back in the days of Froggy yore, when I wasn’t being sloppily sentimental and/or preaching to the choir, what did I do? Honestly? Mostly I ditched. Every once in a while I ran a cheesy contest, but when I wasn’t doing any of those things, I liked to hang out with the Frog. This prompted me to wonder: Where is that little terd . . . er . . . toad, anyway? Shouldn’t he be here, too?

Alas, what came of all that is all this:

‘Twas twelve days before Christmas when all thro’ the bog

Six Writers were blogging—but where was the Frog?

The notes were all posted, lest anyone care;

All hoped that our Frog friend soon would be there.

The readers were nestled all snug at their screens

While visions of frog legs danc’d thro’ their beans.

And Janice with her candy canes, and Jon and his dogs

Had just settled their brains to write their own blogs.

Then out in the weeds there arose such a clatter

I fell from my chair, wond’ring what was the matter.

Away to the pond edge I staggered, not fast,

Tripped into the cattails and fell with a splash.

The moon as reflected in newly-stirred muck

Lacked luster, thus seeing required some luck,

When what should appear to my dim, blurry eyes

But a miniature sleigh pulled by six dragonflies.

With a sprightly green driver so quick with the goad

I knew in an instant it must be our Toad!

More rapid than Rob-whines his coursers they came,

And he croaked as he called out to each one, by name:

“On, Julie! Go, Kerry! You, Robison! Now, Steph!

“On, Sariah! On, J. Scott—or, wait—are you Jeff?

“To the edge of the bog! To the top of the weed!

“Now, dash it all ‘flies! Slow it down! I must read.”

(And then there was this whirlwind of leaves and . . .

Some other stuff happening with eagles or buzzards

Or something . . . and the next thing I knew . . .)

As I drew back my head lest my staring eyes pop

To the bog Saint Amphibian came with a plop.

He was clad all in green from his head to his feet

But he wore a fake beard that was white as a sheet.

I rubbed at my eyes, hoping it was the fog

That had me believing I saw Santa Frog.

His eyes—how they twinkled! His wide lips—how scary!

His feet were like rubber; his toes were webbed, very.

His looooooong, sticky tongue he shot out like a whip

And the moth it encircled was gone with a “Ziiiiiiip!”

The stump of a pen he held tight in his mitt,

It was full of red ink. Had the Frog come to ed-itt?

He had a broad face, and great round white eyes

That could turn in his head and indeed hypnotize.

He was chubby and plump and looked like an elf

But I didn’t laugh. (I’m too elf-like myself.)

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head

Soon gave me to know I’ve delusions to dread.

He spoke not a word. (But, hey, no surprise there!)

And read all the six blogs—which was rather rare—

Then, laying a finger aside of his nose . . .

(I looked away at this point so I wouldn’t even be

Tempted to rhyme whatever he might do next.)

He hopped to his sleigh, to his team gave a shout!

I stood there still wond’ring, “What’s that all about?”

But I heard him exclaim ‘ere he sped out of sight,

“Merry Christmas to all! Hope your New Year is bright!”

I hope that, too. And I really do miss you all! Merry everything!

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Frog Blog Christmas Reunion---Julie Coulter Bellon

I have had so much fun this week seeing a little "Christmas letter" from my frog blog friends.  I miss the old gang sometimes.  But I don't know if I have very much to say that you guys don't already know because, well, I blog pretty much every day.  I'll try to hit the highlights and not bore you.  

Back in January I went down in my basement and looked at the thirteen boxes of paper we'd carted around for years.  I had kept every paper my kids had ever worked on in school because I thought it was precious and I'd scrapbook it someday.  Instead, I had more kids, and got more paper and stuck it in a box which was now stacked in my basement.  Every year I said I'd clean those out and every year I failed to do it.  But in January 2012 I raised my fist and said, "This is the year I will conquer the paper monster."  And then I went to work.  

Most of you know I follow Flylady and I love her idea of "You can do anything for fifteen minutes."  So my husband hauled up those paper boxes (and a few bags that were hiding in the back) and stacked them in the family room.  Every day I took fifteen minutes (or more on a good day) and sorted the papers into kid piles. Then, once each kid had a pile, I got a large binder and tracked down the kid and we went through the papers deciding what was a keepsake and what could be thrown away.  I cannot even tell you how much fun we had doing this, laughing about old memories, notes we found from friends they'd lost touch with, drawings they'd done, assignments they'd spent hours on, book reports, and journals.  It was probably the highlight of my year to have that time with each of my children.  And, even though it took me a few months, those paper boxes (and bags) are gone.  I have eight binders (one for each child) of special things they wanted to keep (and yes, I sneaked a few in that I wanted to keep) and they are safely in a bookcase.  

It felt so freeing to get that done.  I look at the empty space in my basement where those boxes used to be stacked and I feel proud of myself.  And I made a wonderful memory with my children to boot.  I'll count that as a success.

I also joined a critique group this year that meets in person twice a month.  It has been such an eye-opener to me how much of a difference it can make to how I write when I meet in person with these ladies.  We critique, we brainstorm, we talk and laugh and eat yummy food.  I've gained friends as well as people who have helped me take my writing to the next level.  It's been a wonderful thing in my life and a highlight in my year.

On my birthday this year my friend asked me what the best moment of the year was for me.  I thought back over it and one thing popped into my head.  It's small and insignificant, but had a big impact on me.  We took our family to San Diego for a family vacation this year and one late afternoon we were at the beach and I was sitting on a towel, watching my husband and children play in the water and for just a moment they all stood there watching the sunset, their shadows touching me on the towel and I thought to myself, "Everything that is truly important to me is standing right in front of me."  I felt the tears prick my eyes because in that moment nothing else mattered except the love I felt overflowing in my heart for my husband and children. I know I will remember that moment and the feelings I had for the rest of my life.

This Christmas has been particularly fun because my four-year-old understands what's going on.  She presses her nose to the window each morning hoping it has snowed so she can make snow angels.  When we finished decorating the tree she stood back and stared and then said, "Wow.  It's so beautiful Mom."  She has worked hard to learn to make paper snowflakes and spent over an hour making a special Christmas star she wants to give to Santa.  She loves to look at baby Jesus in all my nativity scenes and seems fascinated by the manger.  It's been wonderful to see Christmas through her eyes.  She loves baking, too, so we've been trying out new recipes that are fun to make.  Today, we're trying Sugar Cookie Bars that I've been told are really easy and so addicting you'll never want to eat regular sugar cookies again.  We'll see.

I guess when I look back at this year I'm most grateful for my family and the friends I've made through this blog and the Frog blog and in real life.  You encourage me to be myself, but also make me want to be better, so thank you for that.  I hope at this holiday season you are surrounded by love and you can look back at this year and find something you accomplished and can feel good about, but also find a moment that makes you feel warm inside and will always live in your heart.  

Merry Christmas!

Sugar Cookie Bar Recipe

Ingredients:

Cookies: 

·                     2-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour is fine)

·                     1/2 tsp. baking powder

·                     1/2 tsp. salt

·                     1/2 cup butter, softened

·                     1 cup granulated sugar

·                     1 egg

·                     1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream

·                     1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

·                     1/2 cup butter, softened

·                     4 cups powdered sugar

·                     1/4 cup half and half

·                     1 tsp. vanilla

·                     Pinch of salt

·                     Several drops of food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1.                   COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

2.                   In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3.                   In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (The longer you beat it, the fluffier your cookies will be.)

4.                   Add egg and combine well.

5.                   Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until completely blended.

6.                   Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.

7.                   Gently press the batter into the greased baking dish and spread out with hands. (If you butter your hands, this will help with the stickiness.)

8.                   Bake 17-20 minutes, or until edges become lightly golden.

9.                   Set aside to cool completely.

10.               FROSTING: In a medium bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy.

11.               Stir in vanilla and salt, combine well.

12.               Add food coloring until desired color.

13.               Frost your cooled cookie bars evenly.

14.               Cut into squares and serve.  

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Frog Blog Christmas Reunion---Stephanie Black

Merry Christmas and Hoppy New Year! (Someone had to say it, right?)

Thank you to Julie for organizing the Frog Blog Christmas Reunion! It’s an honor to be blogging with my Frog Blog friends again. Like Rob, I’m so grateful for the friends I made on the blog, both among bloggers and readers. Thank you to everyone who supported us in our Froggie years. One of the absolute hugest blessings of being a writer is being part of this incredible community of writers and readers. During the many years when I was writing (and rewriting, ad infinitum—or nearly) my first book and dreaming of someday seeing the book published, I had no idea that one of the most awesome things about joining the writing world would be becoming part of an amazing community of incredibly nice, incredibly talented, incredibly supportive people. I love, love, love the blessing of being able to connect online with other writers and readers. Besides my yearly trip to the Storymakers Conference, I rarely see my writer friends in person, but online I’m able to maintain friendships and make new ones.

Sadly, since leaving the Frog Blog, I’ve discovered—um, not to my surprise—that I’m a very inconsistent blogger when left to my own devices. I do have a blog (www.stephanieblackink.blogspot.com), but I last updated it in October. Sad, huh? Whoa . . . I have an idea for a New Year’s Resolution. Update my blog regularly! (“Regularly” being defined as “more often than never.” Resolutions should be realistic, right?). Another resolution: clean out the garage. And that’ll do it for my 2013 resolutions, folks, because if you’ve seen my garage, you’ll know I won’t have time to accomplish anything else next year.

So what have I been up to in the last year and a half since the Frog Blog disbanded? I published a couple more mysteries (Rearview Mirror and Shadowed). I’m currently getting ready to submit a Halloween-related novella for a project I’m doing with Gregg Luke and Traci Abramson. The story turned out lighter than my usual books, so it’s been fun to work on something shorter and more humorous.

Other than that, I’m still specializing in falling behind on things I should be doing and watching my kids get SO OLD. We sent our second daughter off to college, and our oldest daughter is now in the process of APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. Pardon the shouting, but it’s kind of an all-caps event to have a child almost done with her undergraduate work. I’m accustomed to having kids in college, but to have a child graduating from college? Oh my. My oldest son is, like, four inches taller than I am and my second son is growing so fast that his jeans would make appropriate wear if the need arose to wade across a creek on the way to school. My youngest daughter turned eight this year, so that pretty much makes us old all around. Bonus: it’s a lot more fun playing games when your kids get older. In the first round of the Goblet Gobblers tournament on Monday night, the eight-year-old beat me.

Then there’s the cataclysmic shift in family policy that occurred a year ago when I went all gooshy minded and gave my oldest daughter permission to bring home a stray cat she and her roommate had taken in. I’ve always been adamantly anti-pet, so this was a big stretch for me. And lo and behold, I’ve grown used to the strange little beast, and even fond of her. Who knew I had it in me?

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!  

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The Frog Blog Christmas Reunion---Robison Wells

Getting the Band Back Together

So it's been 18 months since the death of the Frog Blog, and much has happened. 18 months ago, I had just started a new job. Well--shocker!--I was laid off from that job. So, if we were still blogging once a week, you would have surely heard me complain about the state of the economy, and then someone would have made anonymous political comments, and discussion would ensue with all the righteous indignation and that an anonymous internet commenter can muster, and then I would probably take the next week off the blog out of annoyance.

I also, in the last 18 months, have been diagnosed with a whole host of medical problems that have dominated my life (and that led, in great part, to the aforementioned layoff). Were the Frog Blog still in operation I would have blogged about those problems, and then an anonymous commenter would pretend to be a medical doctor and give the kind of advice that non-medical doctors give, and then discussion would ensue, and facts would be manipulated and logical fallacies would run amok.

Ah, the good old days.

But it's good to get the band back together again, for one final concert on the rooftop. If there's anything that I've learned in the last year, over the course of my illness and the release of my first national novels, it's been that it is essential to have good friends you can rely on. And it has been my pleasure and honor to rely on the many of the Frog Bloggers and the many readers who became close friends during the blog's five years of existence.

I don't go out much anymore (because of the illness) and I don't make it to as many book events as I used to, or even to my writing group, so I've come to value my online relationships even more. Many of you have become a vital part of my life, and for that I can't begin to express my gratitude. Just know that, of all the things I'm thankful for this holiday season, there are few things more important to me than the friendships and kindness that help me through each day; and much of that friendship started out on the Frog Blog.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

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