What a romantic Christmas Day!

Well? How was your Christmas Day?

Mine was pretty fabulous...and romantic! Yes sirree, Mr. Brimble out did himself this year.

I woke up with the kids and hubby, everyone happy - I had books (always a good thing!), lots and lots of lovely new bubble bath, soaps, creams and lotions, DVDS, chocolate...the list goes on. And then we sat down with my parents and brother for a scrummy dinner that lovely hubby had cooked. I know - it's a good day already!

But then, just as we were about to have our starters, hubby announces a toast - he said how this year has not been the best for us as a family, how we lost everything in the French floods...including my beloved engagement ring that he had given to me seventeen years ago.
You know what's coming right?

Yes, I cried, yes, my mum cried - my brand new diamond solitaire engagement ring is beautiful and means so much to me. Do I have the best husband in the world - YES!!!!!

Happy holidays!

xx

Christmas and the Writer

Okay, so the UK has come to a practical standstill because of the snowfall and plunging temperatures (-9 C today), and what have I been doing for the last two hours? Writing, of course! I must admit it most likely is not the best stuff I have ever written having being sat on the sofa with my dog's head in my lap and my daughters and husband watching 'How to Train Your Dragon' on TV - but hey, writing is writing!

I am as ready as I can be for Christmas and because of the snow, i'm thinking what hasn't arrived (one present for a friend) isn't coming, and what we haven't got in (most likely enough white wine!), then there's not a lot I can do about it and I really do not care when I look out the window. Brrrr!!!!

What are you plans over Christmas? Do you plan to write? Rest? I'd love to hear from you.

In the meantime, let me leave you with an excerpt from my January release, 'Getting It Right This Time' - enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to cast your vote on my poll - i need this information asap!


Kate pushed open the door on the salon and cursed the jingling bell announcing her arrival. No doubt Jo was ready to kill her. She took three steps inside when Jo shot out the back room, lunged forward with the panache of an Olympic gymnast and grabbed Kate’s upper arms.
“He came back!” she cried.
“What? Who?” Kate stared at her, completely bewildered by the look of pure ecstasy on her assistant’s face.
“Sexy Mark Johnston.”
A rush of heat surged over Kate’s body--only to be replaced with ice-cold perspiration bursting onto her upper lip. “What? Why?”
Jo squealed and clapped her hands together. “He brought you something.”
“He…”
Kate’s echo died on her lips when Jo dragged her over to the payment counter. “Look!”
Pale pink ribbons were tied around the handles of the biscuit-colored picnic basket and a wide pink and white gingham ribbon circled its center. Both of the dual lids were ajar, one revealing a dozen pink carnations, the other a bottle of white wine so chilled the perspiration slid in occasional rivulets down its neck.
“Why would he do this?” Kate whispered, taking another step closer as a smile tugged at her lips.
She smoothed her hand over the surface of one of the handles and inhaled the aroma of freshly baked bread seeping from inside. Her stolen Weightwatcher lunch groaned inside her stomach.
“Open it. Open it,” Jo said, bouncing from one foot to the other.
“Oh, for goodness sake,” Kate huffed, yet dismally failing to curb her stupidly insistent grin.
Sighing theatrically, she lifted one of the lids and her breath caught. He’d bought her favorite granary bread, along with delicate slices of Parma ham and a thick wedge of creamy brie. Tears stung at her eyes, and she swallowed the ball of emotion in her throat.
“Oh, Mark.” She said the words on an exhalation as she carefully lifted a crisp white napkin to reveal two of the most delectable mini strawberry and fresh cream tarts she’d ever seen. Her absolute weakness.
She slowly closed the lid and re-arranged her expression into what she hoped was careless nonchalance before turning around. “When did he leave?”
“About ten minutes ago,” Jo said breathlessly. “Can you believe this? Isn’t it lovely?”
“What did he say?”
Her assistant frowned. “Aren’t you happy? Don’t you think it’s romantic?”
“Jo, focus. What did he say?”
Her blue eyes clouded, clearly displaying her disproval of Kate’s seemingly unappreciative response to such a thoughtful gesture. Kate smiled inwardly, knowing full well she’d be the topic of conversation between Jo and her friends at the wine bar later. Finally averting her gaze, Jo feigned interest in the bottles of lotion lining the shelves behind the counter.
“He said he was sorry he’d missed you and put that basket on the counter and then asked if he could borrow a pen and some paper.”
Kate stared at her turned back. “What for?”
She swiveled round. “To write you a note. The guy is obviously love-struck and you’re standing there as though he looks like Shrek after a mud-bath.”

Merry Christmas to you all,

Love

Rachel xx

It's the final stop for the Wild Rose Press Christmas Tour!

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I am so happy to welcome fellow Brit author Sally Clements to my site today - we are both Brits and writing for US publisher, The Wild Rose Press, isn't that great? It's the final week of our month long tour and so all the prizes will be handed out shortly to those lucky commenters who have joined us this week.

I just want to thank each and every one of you who has taken the time to read our posts and comment - we've all thoroughly enjoyed it and I can't wait to take part in another one in the future. Merry Christmas!

OK, I'm out - over to Sally...

Today I’m here visiting Rachel Brimble’s blog as the final post on the Wild Rose Blog Tour, to tell you all about my favourite Christmas tradition. Thank you very much for having me, Rachel!

I still have a little one in my house, so the annual visit of Santa is much anticipated, and much prepared for! Christmas eve is a magical time. The fireplace is loaded with logs, and we sit around the blaze, getting everything ready. Three pillow cases (because how much can you get in a stocking? Not enough, my kids would reply!) are laid out in their customary places in front of the fire, and a mince pie, glass of 15 year old Jameson (because Santa’s worth it!) are laid out ready for the visit of the great man. And a carrot is left on a plate for Rudolph, because its heavy work pulling all those presents around, and he could do with something to keep him going.

On Christmas morning, the crumbs of mince pie, and drank whiskey, together with the remnants of a crunched carrot are the first things examined by my littlest. One year, she informed me that she wanted to keep these artefacts ‘to test for DNA’. After that, the pillowcases are rifled, and presents played with while I’m stuffing the turkey, and listening to Christmas music or watching ‘It’s a beautiful life.’

I’m looking forward to this year! Here's the blurb & buy link for my latest release, "Catch Me A Catch."

She had the perfect life - and all she wanted was to escape it. Artisan chocolatier and reluctant matchmaker Annie Devine wants to survive the annual Durna Matchmaking Festival without messing up. She's useless at relationships, and the whole village know it. They've known ever since the day she was left at the altar in her wedding dress. When Jack Miller, charismatic head of Miller Advertising is forced to make an emergency stop on his transatlantic crossing, she mistakes him for a love-lorn bachelor, and sparks fly. Jack's in Ireland to discover his roots, while Annie's desperate to escape hers. Annie longs to win the coveted Chocolate Oscar competition, and claim the ultimate prize, her own shop in Dublin. But with the deadline for Jack's return to New York looming, is she making the right choice?

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/catch-me-a-catch-p-4147.html

Your Christmas sounds pretty much the same as my own, Sally! My youngest still firmly believes and we will be greeting Santa with the same whiskey and carrot for Rudolph, ahh!

Remember, as well as Sally and myself there are eight other Wild Rose Press authors on tour and a chance to win a book or other goodies from all of them - be sure to click on the WRP tour badge at the top of this page to find out where we are appearing. As for me? I am visiting with Rae Summers in this final week at

http://raesummers.wordpress.com/

Come and join me, I get awful lonely ; )

x

Week Three of the tour - Welcome WRP author, Amy Corwin!!

Welcome, Amy! So glad to welcome yet another fellow Wild Rose Press author to my site for the week. The tour is going so well, isn't it? I am building up a nice pot of names to pick for a prize! This week is about Christmas movies - looking forward to discovering yours. Take it away...

Favorite Holiday Movie
There are so many wonderful holiday movies and books that it's really hard to make a choice. My favorite movies, however, are the ones that make you laugh, so it's no surprise that I'd pick ones that make you chuckle and leave you with a smile on your lips.
Sadly, I can't make up my mind between two old favorites that I can't seem to stop watching around this time of year. So here they are, the two best holiday movies for making you laugh and enjoy the lighter side of the season.

Holiday Inn (1942)

Every year, I have to watch this movie if for no other reason than to hear Bing Crosby sing, "White Christmas". Holiday Inn stars Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Marjorie Reynolds in a charming movie about two fellows courting the same gal. Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby) is in love with Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds), but Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire) wants her for his dance partner after his previous partner steps out on him. Jim has a supper club called Holiday Inn, which serves as the magical holiday location for the dynamic duo to chase poor little Linda.
The plot will delight romance lovers, but the music is really what this film is all about. Irving Berlin wrote many of the songs and lyrics and that alone make the move worth watching, not to mention Astaire's great dancing. Sometimes I wish folks would take up ballroom dancing again—there's nothing like it and old & young alike can do it without looking like plucked chickens flapping their bony wings the way modern dances do. Sigh.
Songs include:
White Christmas, sung by Bing Crosby
You're Easy to Dance With
Happy Holiday
I'll Capture Your Heart Singing
Come To Holiday Inn, and more…

You can't go wrong with this movie.

A Christmas Story (1983)

How can you not adore this movie? It is based on the short stories of Jean Shepherd and never fails to bring back my own memories of childhood and Christmas. And since our labs have figured out how to open both the back door and front door, and frequently go galloping through the house to escape out the front door, the scene with the Bumpus dogs run through the house and snatch the turkey never fails to make me laugh. And wince. So far, our dogs haven't grabbed anything off the counters, but you never know.
Shepherd brilliantly captures the fervent longings and challenges of childhood. There's the school bully, the challenge of getting our parents to understand what we really have to have for Christmas, and the family holiday dynamics as dad tries to outdo everyone else in the neighborhood on the Christmas decorations without blowing all the circuit breakers. Of course, since my childhood was a little later than Ralphie's, we had a silver tinsel tree and one of those color disks that rotated to change it blue, red, and green, but we blew a fuse or two with the holiday decorations. And I can so empathize with Ralphie when he first discovers that advertisers don't always play fair with things like secret decoder rings. (LOL)

I love this movie. It reminds me so much of my own childhood—nothing captures it better.

TWRP Blog Tour Contest

Don't forget to leave comments about your favorite holiday movies or books. Folks who leave comments will be entered into our contest to get a de-stressing gift just in time for the holidays.

Night Owl Reviews Contest

Nigh Owl Reviews is holding a Winter Web Hunt contest and as a participating author, I'm going away a lovely heart necklace! Don't miss your opportunity to win the necklace or dozens of other fabulous prizes. Here is the link, so be sure to check it out!

Excerpt from my latest book

Book: Vampire Protector
 Author: Amy Corwin
Author's website: http://www.amycorwin.com
Published: Nov 12, 2010
Publisher Line: Black Rose
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Memories may help her survive, but will they help her resist her vampire protector?
Exploring Gwen's long abandoned childhood home in the company of her neighbor, John, sounds like an intriguing evening. However, she soon realizes her mistake. John is a vampire and her house is not exactly empty. Secrets—and the dead—don't always stay buried, and John's extraordinary strength and determination may be all that can withstand what awaits them in the darkness.
-----
In the following excerpt, Gwen has asked her neighbor, John Wright, to accompany her to her abandoned family home. She knows he's a vampire, but despite this, she's attracted to him and wants his company on this adventure.
But when the two of them get to the house, she's not so sure it's a good idea to enter…

Excerpt from Vampire Protector

John stopped and waited on the stoop. He glanced over his shoulder. When she didn't move, he held out his hand in a peremptory gesture. Gwen stared at it, thinking how human his hand looked with a sprinkling of dark hairs on the back of his wrists and strong, blunt-tipped fingers.

He must have been working outdoors the day he died, for there was still a tinge of sunburned red deepening the tan. The sun-kissed color reinforced the false sensation of heat radiating from him. He felt warm and alive to all her senses, despite the knowledge that he was not.

Her heart twisted with loneliness. It had been so long since she had felt arms around her. But she hadn't met a man she felt she could trust, and a vampire was out of the question.

She had lost her way and did not know how to find the path back to a real life.

"Hold my hand if you're afraid of ghosts," he offered with a twisted smile. A flicker of sympathy grew in the depths of his eyes, revealing a sad recognition of the gulf between them: vampire and human.

With a sense of surprise, she felt his warm gaze tug her even closer to him. As if his awareness of the differences between them meant they shared similar core beliefs and that she could trust him because of that.

She shivered and thrust her thoughts away.

"Hanging onto your cold, dead fingers is not going to make me feel any better."

"I'll warm them for you." His dark eyes flickered. The corners crinkled with silent laughter.

"You can make me think they're warm. But they'll still be cold, dead fingers." The hairs rose along her neck and arms. She glanced over her shoulder toward the graveyard across the street.

"The remnants of the dead—those tatters—have probably drifted over from the graveyard. They'll collect here. It's not that I'm afraid of them. It's not like they'd consciously attack me or anything, but they'll be attracted to the body heat of anything living. Like me."

She gestured toward one of the drifts of leaves in the farthest corner of the porch.

A few pitiful gray, black, and white feathers lay amidst the debris. At some point in the past, a mockingbird had tried to nest in the shelter of the porch. The bird had been sucked dry of energy and warmth before it realized what was happening and flew away. All that remained was a dry handful of feathers and bones.

The sight did not bode well for anything alive that entered the house.

Great post, Amy! I must admit, I have never seen any of your favorite Christmas movies but plan to watch every movie the ladies on this Wild Rose Press tour have mentioned! This is so great that we are discovering new books and movies along the way and I hope the readers are enjoying it too!

Remember, as well as Amy and myself, there are eight other authors doing the rounds so be sure to click on the Roses Tour logo to see where they are appearing - I will be with the lovely Maya Blake all week so please stop by and leave a comment.

http://mayabauthor.blogspot.com/

You'll be in with the chance to win a pashmina and a signed paperback of The Arrival of Lily Curtis.

Amy is waiting to hear from you!!

Nan Malone is here with her favorite holiday recipe - yum!

Okay, so it's week two of the Roses Christmas Tour and this week the theme is "Our Favorite Holiday Food or Recipe". My visiting "Rose" today is Nan Malone, the author of contemporary romance, Game, Set, Match.

Why not cook her favorite food and then settle down with a copy of her fabulous book??

Here's the blurb & link - followed by the delicious sounding food, perfection!

Off the court, tennis star Jason Cartwright’s playboy image is taking a public beating. On the court, he’s down forty-love. A knee injury is shutting down his game, and the paparazzi are splashing his love life on every magazine. A comeback is in order, but the makeover he needs to save his faltering career is in the hands of the woman he loved and left fifteen years ago.

While single-mom, Izzy Connors, sees people for who they really are through the lens of her camera, even without it, she knows Jason isn’t the star he appears to be. Although his charm and good looks haven’t dimmed since he broke her heart, all she sees is his wasted talent and playboy lifestyle.

Can Izzy put the past behind her and help Jason get his game, and his image, back on track? Or will the click of her camera shatter his world as well as his heart?

Buy: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/game-set-match-p-4214.html

Nothing says Christmas like Fruit Cake, Egg Nog and Plantain…

Plantain you ask, scratching your head. You’ve seen it in the grocery store in the exotic fruit section. It sort of looks like a giant banana. Growing up in Ghana, plantain is a staple.
And I love it anyway you can make it. Seasoned with salt and pepper and fried. Cut up into little pieces and fried.

Shoot you don’t even have to fry it. Bake it boil it any way I’ll eat it. Plantain can be made either a sweet or savory. I prefer sweet with a hint of savory. One of my all time favorite recipes is below. Enjoy!

Tatale

4 very ripe plantains

1 large onions

2 Tblsp fresh grated ginger

1 clove crushed garlic

1 Cup Flour

Salt to taste

Cayenne pepper to taste

Mix together and scoop spoonfuls to fry in hot oil. Makes the most delicious little pancakes.

Let me know how you like it! Enjoy.

Wow, that's sound amazing! If you want to find out more about my favorite foods, I am visiting with Lilly Gayle this week at http://lillygayleromance.blogspot.com/

See you there, here, everywhere!

x