Samhain Publishing Ltd. Weblog

Party Poopers

I’m not one to spout my political, religious, or personal beliefs in public, so it’s with much tiptoeing that I write this. But I recently heard a report about schools banning Christmas parties and songs in classrooms. It distressed me. And it sent me back to my grade-school days of fond memories I’d almost forgotten…

Without going into details, let me just say life in my childhood home was…challenging. Often, the classroom was my haven, most especially when the holidays approached. I recall autumn giving way to the biting winds of winter, donning my galoshes and hiking more than a block in heavy snow to catch the school bus. The bus was warm and welcoming, but it soon dropped me off at the school’s door. I can still remember the gleaming hallways, the bleachy smell of freshly mopped floors, and the scent of books and bright splashes of construction paper on the bulletin boards as I entered my cozy second-grade classroom.

Anticipation swirled in my belly. I knew it was that time.

I’m Sooooo Afraid

So I decided to tick off my phobias, why, I don’t know. Maybe because I’m afraid of having too many? LOL! Actually, I was working on some character development on a WIP and wanted to attribute a unique phobia to a particular character in the story. Anyway, I decided to begin with a short list of my own…which turned into a long list. I’m not sure if I’m just getting paranoid in my old age, or if I’ve had too many bad experiences, but whoa, I must be nuts. I really do have a LOT of them—don’t you think?

I’m almost embarrassed to list them, but here ya go…

Scandal, Ménage & Sooo Much More - KABANA HEAT Now in Print!

Kabana Heat, my smokin’ contemporary Hawaiian ménage, is now available in print format. Don’t miss holding…um, a “hard” copy in your hot little hands. Curl up, inhale that yummy new-book scent, and devour every naughty word inside. Then be prepared to, uh-hem, ambush your significant other. (cackles) Preorder at Amazon today! Official availability at Samhain is June 30, 2009. For tempting excerpts, click here, here, or join my newsletter.

Here’s what Mrs. Giggles had to say about Kabana Heat:

90/100 & A Keeper! “…plenty of unapologetic, unabashed, and very naughty scenes that have me wishing that someone would spray a fire extinguisher all over me… [a] most charming naughty romp.”

Follow the links above for some mouthwatering snippets, and check out the blurb by clicking “Read More”…

Please Don't Hate Me, But...

By the time this blog posts, I’ll literally be on a tropical beach sipping margaritas. (* ducks from rotten tomatoes *) But see, I got this vacation at a deep discount or I wouldn’t be there. ;) Even though we booked the trip well before the economic blow-up, periods of a better economy never have caused me to be less frugal—I’m always on the lookout for a deal, if not out of necessity, then at least out of want for a good challenge. * grin *

Anyway, here’s how it went. With hubby’s job requiring extensive travel, he enrolled in every airline frequent-flyer, hotel and credit-card-points program imaginable. He’s flying, staying in hotels and swiping his cards for business anyway, so why not rack up some benefits? And it only takes a moment to whip out those rewards membership cards and enter your number to receive credit. Then just stand back and watch the points compound like bank interest and later translate into free hotel stays, free airline tickets, or even an iPod or e-reader.

So get thy patooties out there and enroll in every frequent-whatever program you can find!

But don’t stop there.

As A Woman Thinketh

Angst happens. It happens to us all. I’ve had my share of it lately, and I’ve read various comments across the web recently where it seems the levels are reaching all-time highs for a lot of us. From the panic of the economy, to the never-ending cold or unusual weather worldwide, to heartbreaking tragedies and painful personal issues, it can seem at times that the sun won’t ever shine again like it used to in our brighter days.

So I thought I’d devote my slot on the Samhain blog today looking for ways to uplift and inspire. Even if my efforts boost just one person out there, that’s a start. :)

I’d like to begin with a little torn and tattered book that was given to my family years ago when hubby and I were just starting out on our journey as a poor, young, newly married couple with sickly preemie infant twins. It’s called As A Man Thinketh by James Allen, not a religious book but one of inspiration, encouragement, and thought-provoking words of wisdom. I reread it recently, as I have periodically in the past when times were tough, and thanked the stars that I’d kept it and not included it in a moment of insanity a few years back when I’d gotten rid of some of my precious books.

So anyway…

I opened this book and sobbed uncontrollably when I found the scribblings of my children (all now mostly grown), strewn randomly from page to page. I don’t recall those scribbles being there the last time I read it, so I was stunned—that must mean I’ve gone for more than a decade without reading it again. Where had the time gone? I wasn’t sure, but I did conclude one very important thing… I was meant to pull that book off my shelf at that point in time. Why? Well, call it coincidence or call it fate, but some of the most profound passages—ones that I needed the most at that very moment—were either underlined or marked in some way by an innocent child’s hand.

wipes away bittersweet tears

The theme of the whole book is summed up in this quote from its first page:

“A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts… As he thinks, so he is; as he continues to think, so he remains.”

Pretty deep, huh?

Once you have that one dissected ( grin ), here’s a bit more food for thought from the book, each their own standalone passages:

The Vultures Are Circling

With the holidays looming ever closer, I recently made that dreaded trip to Wallyworld (eh, dread is really not a strong enough word to describe it cuz I’m not your typical woman—I despise shopping of any sort) and noticed the parking vultures were soaring in droves. Really, I understand there are lots of reasons for needing a closer spot, so it doesn’t matter to me…well, unless a person’s blocking traffic while waiting for a spot to vacate. ( wink ) But I even get the sport of it—occasionally, my hubby performs the stalk-and-swoop method of parking-spot searching because he’s a competitive kind of guy who vulture-circles to see if he can “win” that closest spot. Heehee

DO YOU SWAP?

gasp Naughty you! I don’t mean that kind of swapping. I’m referring to paperback book swapping. I ask because I recently received several emails inquiring if I’d be interested in participating in a used-book trade. Now this isn’t your average little ol’ one- or two-book exchange, I’m talking all-out Wall Street trading! Detailed loooong inventory lists passed back and forth, reaching in all corners of the world where you can pick and choose what books you’d like to swap.

Well, let me catch my breath and explain something before I reveal my decision on this shocking invitation…