Monthly Archives: December 2013

Holiday Blog Break!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. Mine’s about to get better–visiting family for a day in Los Angeles and then spending three full days with my hubby in Las Vegas! We are greatly in need of a vacation; turns out that driving across the country with three cats doesn’t actually count as one. So while we’re happily getting used to life in the Bay Area–

Ben and me at Union Square.

Ben and me at Union Square.

–we’re still in need of time away. So I’m taking a break from everyday life and from blogging just until the New Year. To entice you back in January, I offer this teaser of blog posts to come…

Wine tasting on Treasure Island.

Wine tasting on Treasure Island.

Have a very merry Christmas and a fantabulous New Year!

“Warm Your Heart” Christmas Blog Tour from Astraea Press (and prizes!)

Hello readers, I have a guest post for you today. Astraea Press, publisher of my romance novella, Maya’s Vacation, is having a blog tour to promote all of their winter holidays books. Today, I’m playing host! So read on for a message from Astraea Press and a synopsis of a pair of Astraea’s holiday books. You’ll also find out how to into to win a free $50 giftcard from Astraea and a free Astraea book of your choice!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Astraea Press! We love this time of year!Is it the cooler weather? The fires in the fireplace? Family gatherings? Or our sweethearts under the mistletoe…. We do love mistletoe 😉

Whatever the cause, we want to celebrate Christmas and this holiday season with you. This is one of the many stops on a two-week tour. Check out the rafflecopter at our website or the end of this post for a chance to win a free Astraea Press Christmas book of YOUR choice (eep!). There is also a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

I want to thank Rebecca and all the other blogs who have offered to help.
All of their facebook pages and/or twitter are on the rafflecopter. I hope you
get a chance to visit them all.

So… MERRY CHRISTMAS from Astraea Press and our authors. Thanks for a great year.

~Kelly from AP

Here is a Christmas book from bestselling author Patricia Kiyono:

The Christmas Phoenix by Patricia Kiyono

Jess Tate is trying to make a life for herself and her teenage son after her husband’s sudden death.  Running the family’s struggling landscape business in Northern Michigan has been hard work, and her son hasn’t been much help.  She’s managed to get by, learning to run the big equipment herself, but between snowplowing early in the mornings and working her daytime job in town, she often wonders if there will ever be more to life than endless work.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nonfiction Bragging – An Insider’s Guide to the General Hospital Fan Club Weekend

A few months ago, I got to add a second item to my list of professional photography credits for this amazing book for lovers of General Hospital, but somehow, I forgot to announce it here!

The book is written by Katrina Rasbold, my talented boss over at All My Writers, and I can guarantee she’ll crack you up with her Southern dame prose. As the description reads,

A must have for all fans of the iconic soap opera, General Hospital! This book provides one-of-a-kind photos and stories from behind the scenes of the premier GH event of the year…. [Katrina] gives you smart tips on how to navigate this complex and intense fan event to get the most bang for your buck and for your time….Who crashed the party at the 2013 Main Cast Luncheon? What GH beauty from the past arrived at the Main Cast Luncheon to announce that she is now on the current cast? Who was the breakout star of the weekend who had hearts throbbing on Sunday?…She shares insider stories from her years working the event, plus includes over 450 photographs from her own personal collection, more than 300 of which are from the most recent 2013 General Hospital Fan Club Weekend!

You can purchase this tome through Amazon as an e-book or through CreateSpace as a print book in either black and white or color. It would make a great Christmas gift for fans of the show, which I can say because I’ve been one since the womb! The book definitely prepares folks to attend the fan club weekend, but it’s chock-full of insider stories that any GH viewer would love to hear.

Here are what readers have to say so far:

“It’s a delightful book, quite helpful to the person who is off to such a fan weekend. I am sure that much of the travel and packing advice is applicable to any such event in a hot climate. Written by a woman who has been there, done that, I would listen to her words and follow them in order to best enjoy the event. Best of all, you can add this book to your Kindle and carry it with you for a handy reference! As far as I’m concerned, it’s a must-have for anyone who plans on going to any fan event.”

“I remember watching General Hospital when it was in black and white (at least at my house) and featured stories about Steve and Audrey Hardy and the nurses at GH. I’ve never been to a GH event (wrong side of a very big country) but after reading this book, I feel as though I’ve been there. Insider tidbits about the participating actors, sure, but also the very necessary information about packing, hotels, where to go, when to go there, and the protocol for any GH event. A fun read even if you never make it to an event, and an indispensable one if you do plan to attend this yearly event.”

“Katrina captures the experience of the General Hospital Fan Club Weekend with unabridged honesty, humorous, truthful tales of unbelievable and unforgettable moments that positively and lovingly spotlights both the graciousness of the actors and the enthusiasm of the fans. The collection of personal anecdotes, hundreds of photos, and insider information about how to prepare” to attend this four-day extravaganza is a MUST HAVE for not only those fans who wish to attend, but also ANY fan who has loved this 50 year young daytime icon!”

I can’t leave you without a picture of me at the event, now can I? Enjoy!

Me with John J. York.