A New Year Dawns...

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. And while I've been enjoying the Christmas season I've been thinking back over the year that was 2010. It had its ups and its downs, but as I've made it to the end of the year healthy and happy, I'd have to say it was a good one.

Over the past year I've had seven new ebooks released and three print books. It all started in February with the print release of Jamesville Affairs, which contains A Legal Affair and Past Promises (Books 4 and 6 of the Jamesville series).

In March my newest Tapestries book--Embroidered Fantasies--was released. A new Tapestries books is always exciting for me. I adore this series. In April came Seeking Charlotte, a paranormal novella, which was a part of the Hearts of Fire series, though it can be read as a stand-alone book.

Onward to May with the release of my FIRST ever Audio Book. I was thrilled with Ellora's Cave told me that Tempting Tori, a Quickie about one of the Courage brothers of Texas, was going to become an audio book. Very exciting! In July, the next book in the Courage brothers saga, another Quickied entitled Lassoing Lara, was released.

Summer seemed as though it would never arrive this past year. In late June, hubby and I went to a cabin at the seashore for a couple of nights and spent a couple of more nights in a motel in my hometown. But it wasn't exactly warm. I had to go to the local Wal-Mart and buy a coat. It was freezing, but it was nice to get away for a few days.

We came home and the nicer weather finally arrived. We took walks and generally got outside as much as possible. At the same time, August was a big month for me. I had two new releases that month: Isaiah's Haven, the second book in my Legacy werewolf series from Samhain Publishing, and Out of Shadows, my latest Shadow Ryder book from Ellora's Cave. It was also the month where the print version of Alexandra's Legacy, the first book in the Legacy series, was released. Talk about a testosterone overload. LOL Hubby and I also celebrated our 23 wedding anniversary in August. It was a very good month!

September arrived and with it the release of Entwined Hearts, the final book in the Hearts of Fire series. This was a very special book in that it was written by four authors. It wasn't an anthology, but a true collaboration. Nicole Austin, TJ Michaels, Ciana Stone and I all worked on this book. I had a wonderful time working on this series with those very special ladies. It as an experience I'll always remember.

October saw the release of A Touch of Magick from Samhain Publishing. Since the book is about magick and takes place around the Halloween/Samhain holiday I thought it was a very fitting release date. There will be two more books in this trilogy. :)

Sometime in November I found out that Alexandra's Legacy was nominated for an EPIC award. As if that wasn't exciting enough, I discovered Embracing Silence was nominated for an RT Reviewer's Choice Award. That is a dream come true for me and I'm absolutely thrilled by the nomination!

The year wound down with the early December release of the print version of Three Swords, One Heart. This is a favorite book of mine. The heroine is totally kickass. She takes no prisoners, but finds her heart tamed by two brothers.

I've enjoyed taking time off this Christmas. I've haven't been doing anything more strenous than hanging out with family and friends. I'm looking forward to 2011 and all that it brings.

As you ring in the New Year, take a moment to reflect on the year past. Enjoy the pop of the champagne, the excitement of the fireworks and the mountains of good food. Stay safe and have fun!

Happy New Year to you all. May 2011 be the best year yet for us all!

Christmas Eve has Dawned...

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Good morning and welcome to Christmas Eve! The house is cleaned, the presents are wrapped, the food is prepared.

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I'm having an open house today and will have family and friends coming and going all day.

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May you all have a wonderful holiday filled with great food, good friends, loving family and tons of fun. If you're travelling, stay safe.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Countdown...

Only two more days until Christmas. I made cranberry sauce this morning and will make more fudge and shortbread cookies this afternoon. Bathroom is cleaned, but I still have to vacuum and dust the apartment. Most of the presents are wrapped. Will finish the rest later.

Bring on Christmas! I'm ready!

Are you?

Christmas Countdown...

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There's only 3 days until Christmas!

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I'm making a big pot of vegetarian chilli this afternoon. Tomorrow I will be making more fudge and shortbread cookies for our open house on Friday afternoon.

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Hubby and I went out for breakfast this morning. Then we went to the bank, the bookstore, the post office and the grocery store. We were home by 10:30. That's the way I like it. :)

Happy Winter Solstice!

Good morning and welcome to the Winter Solstice!

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If you had the opportunity, I hope you viewed the lunar eclipse last night. It was a very rare event. Almost four hundred years since the last one on the same day as the Winter Solstice. I got up in the middle of the night to view it but there was too much fog and cloud cover. Couldn't see anything.

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Remember...only 4 days until Christmas!

Christmas Countdown

The Countdown to Christmas is On!

Only 5 Days Until Christmas!

If You're Looking for a Quick Holiday Read...

Looking for a quick, fun read this holiday? Be sure to check out Jessamyn's Christmas Gift my White Hot Holidays Christmas Quickie from Ellora's Cave.

BLURB:

It's Christmas Eve and Jessamyn Parker waits by the fireside in her boyfriend's house. She expects him home any minute after being away for three months on business. Clad only in a slinky teddy and sprawled beneath the Christmas tree, she plans to surprise him. But instead of her boyfriend, a complete stranger surprises her.

Caleb Morgan is the new sheriff, and unbeknownst to her, he is also the new owner of the house. Jessamyn flees back to her own home, determined to forget not only her boyfriend's betrayal, but also the heated desire that Caleb has sparked within her.

While Jessamyn is shocked by his appearance, Caleb is enthralled by her. But Jessamyn has had more than enough of men. Now, one year later, it's Christmas time again, and Jessamyn is still swearing off men. But Caleb has other ideas. The only thing he wants for Christmas is the same thing he wanted last year and didn't quite get — Jessamyn Parker under his tree.

Read an Excerpt

BUY THE BOOK

Final Weekend to Enter!

FINAL WEEKEND TO ENTER MY CHRISTMAS QUICKIE CONTEST!



We're all so busy this time of year. There are halls to be decked, food to be prepared and presents to buy. Then there are all the social obligations, Christmas pageants and the like to schedule in. There's not much time for reading.

But there's always time for a Quickie. No, not that kind of quickie. (Although that's not a bad idea either.) But a quick read. Something you can pick up and read in one sitting while you're relaxing after a hard day of work or shopping.

I want to help you out this holiday season, so I'm giving away a free download of one of my Ellora’s Cave Quickies to two lucky readers. Just go to my website and click on the “Contests” page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.

Winning names will be chosen at random on December 20th. That's my last official day of work before I start my holidays.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Ellora's Cave Sale!

Ellora's Cave has a big sale on right now. You can get selected paperbacks for $3-4 and 2011 Caveman Calendar only $5 while supplies last. Check it out at Ellora's Cave.

Christmas Traditions...

Christmas Traditions...we all have them and they're an important part of our holiday. That's what I'm talking about over at The Romance Studio Blue Blog today. Stop by and check it out!

In the Edits Cave and New Review

I'm in the edits cave today working on edits for my next EC Quickie, Tracking Talia. This is the third and final book about the Courage brothers of Texas. Below is a new review for Lassoing Lara, another book in that trilogy

Shayna over at Joyfully Reviewed loved Lassoing Lara. Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

"The sex sizzles in Lassoing Lara as two life-long friends find that love has been waiting for them, practically in their own backyard...The two of them together heat up the page and entertain with their swift slide from friends to lovers.

Lassoing Lara is the first story I’ve read by N.J. Walters and it stood on its own perfectly well. I did note, however, that one of Brody’s brothers was already married and it took me about ten seconds to discover that J.T. Courage’s story is already out. I’ll definitely be checking out Tempting Tori because Lassoing Lara was fast-moving fun."

Read the entire review at Joyfully Reviewed.

Week in Review

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I think a lot of folks are feeling like Miss Kitty these days...like they're sinking. The holidays are fast approaching and we're all trying to get a million things done as well as do those normal, everyday things that need doing--like laundry and housework.

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I'm pushing hard to try to finish up my latest project before I break for the holidays. Will I get there? Who knows? Last week I made progress. I finished one version of the book, but am working on another version now, slightly different and for another market. Sneaky right? *g* I've done that before. I have one published book that has three different versions. (Two of which will never see the light of day.) lol

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In between work I've been doing Christmas stuff. The house is decorated and I made shortbread cookies last week. They're delicious and almost gone. All the presents, except for hubby's, have been bought and wrapped.

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Life is good. I'll keep pushing this week at my writing and I hope to do some more shopping. I may even sneak in a movie or two this week.

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Hope you have a great week. Take a few moments to breathe. Don't get overwhelmed by everything you have to do. Drop something from your to-do list if you have to. Better for you to be happy and sane rather than to have you worn out and cranky.

Featured Author and Contest Reminder!

I'm one of the authors featured this month over at The Romance Studio Blue Pages. Stop by and check out my interview. I'm talking about my steaming hot novella Seeking Charlotte.

CHRISTMAS QUICKIE CONTEST!



We're all so busy this time of year. There are halls to be decked, food to be prepared and presents to buy. Then there are all the social obligations, Christmas pageants and the like to schedule in. There's not much time for reading.

But there's always time for a Quickie. No, not that kind of quickie. (Although that's not a bad idea either.) But a quick read. Something you can pick up and read in one sitting while you're relaxing after a hard day of work or shopping.

I want to help you out this holiday season, so I'm giving away a free download of one of my Ellora’s Cave Quickies to two lucky readers. Just go to my website and click on the “Contests” page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.

Winning names will be chosen at random on December 20th. That's my last official day of work before I start my holidays.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

Tree Decorating Traditions

When I was decorating the tree this past weekend it got me to thinking about Christmases past and the kind of decorations we put on the tree when I was a kid.


I don't know about the rest of you, but I remember boxes of glass ornaments almost exactly like these. I found these pictures on eBay, but I think we had a box just like this one. I recognize the cover. Sadly, most of the pretty glass balls were broken over the years. Sometimes they'd fall off the tree or someone would accidentally sit on a box.

I remember putting my fingers through some of the ones that were indented in the center. I wish I still had some of the ones from my childhood. They were so colorful and special and the lights made them shine.

Anyone remember those big clunky light strands with metal reflectors?. lol Some of them were circular, some shaped like stars and they came in all different colors--red, green, blue and yellow.

It was always my job to check the lights. Back in those days the lights were unscrewed from the sockets and stored carefully, the reflectors were stacked and put safely in their own box and the strands were carefully bundled away at the end of the holiday.

I've tried to keep pieces of my past on my Christmas tree. When I left home I confiscated the metal icicles we used to hang on the tree. At that point no one else liked them but me. They'd fallen out of style. I found another pack of them a few years back at a thrift store so now I have more than enough of them for my tree.


Something else I found at a thrift store were several of those lovely vintage glass birds that clip on the tree. (The ones pictured aren't mine but are very similar. Once again I got the picture from eBay.) I'll try to get some pictures of my decorations and put them up in a few days.

I have the birds clipped to the garland surrounding the entertainment center. They look gorgeous when the christmas lights hit them.


The style of ornaments has certainly changed since I was a kid. Back then most people had the same type of ornaments, usually what the local department store carried. Anyone else remember satin balls and chunky gold garland from the 70's?

All my ornaments are either homemade or gifts from friends and family. Each one has a story, a memory. I like that. My sister seems to change the ornaments on her tree every few years, depending on her mood.

How do you decorate your tree? Do you have a theme? Have you kept any ornaments or traditions from your childhood?

Wanted by The James Gang!

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In the past, Marcia James has interviewed authors and publishing insiders who have "James" in their names. This month she opened the interviews to include authors who have used the name "James" in their books. I'm thrilled to be the December James Gang interviewee. And it's all because I write a series set in the fictional small town of Jamesville, Maine.

Check out the interview over at The James Gang.

The Halls are Decked...Finally

The adventure in decorating began this past Wednesday when I decided I'd put the greenery up around the archways and shelves. That was fairly easy.

I then had the bright idea that I'd put the lights up on the archway between the living and dining area. I got out the big set of lights and checked them. They worked so everything was a go. I unplugged the lights and went to work. When I was half done I decided I'd plug in the lights to see how they worked. Nothing. No pretty red and green and blue lights at all. I checked bulbs and must have hit a loose one because the lights came on. Yay!

I celebrated too soon. I quickly discovered only half of the set of 100 was lit. I checked bulbs but to no avail. So off came the set of lights from the greenery.

The next day, Thursday, hubby and I went out and bought another set of lights. I worked on the same greenery while he put lights on the rest. It was beautiful when it was done.

On Friday morning while hubby was at work I decided to put together our sad little artificial tree we've used the past few years. We love real trees, always had one until a few years back when our apartment building changed owners and they disallowed it. But that's another story. Back to our little tree. I was putting it together when I broke the stand.

Not to be disheartened, I reached for the masking tape (no duct tape on hand) and taped that sucker. I thought it was pretty good. Hubby came home from work and put the lights on while I strung popcorn. We decided not to put the ornaments on as we were going out Friday night to a local production of Scrooge, which was quite wonderful.

Saturday afternoon came and the tree was listing slightly. So I added more tape and figured I'd give it another day to see if it would hold.

Sunday morning hubby called out to me and said he had some concerns. I could see the problem immediately. Our little tree resembled the leaning tower of Pisa. We laughed because, really, it did look funny. There was nothing else to be done but make a trek to Wal-Mart and buy a new tree. We found one a bit bigger, bought a few more sets of lights and came home. After lunch, I assembled the new tree while hubby disassembled the old one. I popped more popcorn and strung more lines of the white stuff while hubby tranfered light sets and added more.

Finally, after several days of waiting, I broke out the ornaments and we went to work. Finally, as the sun was fading, the tree was done.

It's been an adventure for sure. Hopefully over the next few days I'll have a photo or two to share.

Hope your holiday decorating is going well. :)

Three Swords, One Heart in PRINT

Three Swords, One Heart is now available in PRINT from Ellora's Cave. I'm so excited to finally see this book in print. It's a fantasy/ménage a trois featuring two cursed warriors and one kickass heroine.

The book has a rockin' new cover. Check it out!

BLURB:

Malik and Kalis are cursed to forever wander the world, searching for the one woman who can break the curse that has plagued their family for seven generations. In each generation of their family, the firstborn are always twin boys who bear the mark of the curse.

The woman destined to break the curse is a warrior woman, adept at hunting and battle — a woman who will give herself and her love freely to both men. Upon the death of her father, Zarina is cast out of her desert tribe. Raised more as a male than female, she is more at home wielding a blade than tending a home.

When their paths collide, both men know they have found the right woman, but Zarina is mistrustful. Do they want her simply because they believe she can break the curse or does their attraction go deeper than that? But fate will not be denied and the three wounded souls must face their destiny together.

Read an Excerpt

BUY THE BOOK

December Newsletter and Contest!

Welcome to December! I can't believe how fast time is flying by. There are only 24 days left until the big one. :)

Of course, that means the December issue of Awakening Desires—the Newsletter of Romance Author N.J. Walters— is now available.

Be sure to check out all the latest news, my husband’s popular column—Confessions of a Romance Author’s Husband, exciting contest news and more. This month's interview is a very special one. My hubby has stopped by to answer questions. You won't want to miss it.

As well, some lucky newsletter subscriber wins a prize. All you have to do to be eligible to win is go to Awakening Desires Newsletter and join. While you’re there, you can check out back issues of the newsletter.


CHRISTMAS QUICKIE CONTEST!



We're all so busy this time of year. There are halls to be decked, food to be prepared and presents to buy. Then there are all the social obligations, Christmas pageants and the like to schedule in. There's not much time for reading.

But there's always time for a Quickie. No, not that kind of quickie. (Although that's not a bad idea either.) But a quick read. Something you can pick up and read in one sitting while you're relaxing after a hard day of work or shopping.

I want to help you out this holiday season, so I'm giving away a free download of one of my Ellora’s Cave Quickies to two lucky readers. Just go to my website and click on the “Contests” page for details on how you can enter for a chance to win.

Winning names will be chosen at random on December 20th. That's my last official day of work before I start my holidays.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!